The Sisterhood of Evil Mutants
by saichanlovestoad
Summary: UPDATED. An accident in Forge's lab leaves the Brotherhood as the Sisterhood, with all four boys turned suddenly into girls. Until Forge can come up with a counter experiment, they must live life as females. Can they survive? Yuri moments as of chapter 7
1. Chapter 1

A/N ... I don't own any of the X-men: Evolution characters. The appearances of the Sisterhood, however, are my own design, thank you. I do own Walter Jones, Steven, Bob, Alan, Jason, Britney Simmons, Jeffery Cit, and Adam Switch. Thank you. Please enjoy. Oh, and I restate, I'm terrible at Kurt's accent so I'll try but I'm gonna mostly leave it out. Bare with me. And for those of you who care, this is set after mutants are revealed but I like Evan so lets pretend the whole Morlocks thing didn't happen.

The alarm was blaring as the X-men suited up. The Brotherhood was up to no good and breaking into Forge's new lab, which the X-men monitored just in case something like this ever happened. They hurried into the X-van and drove out to the restricted area just as Forge radioed in to say he was going to head them off. Scott warned against it, in the off chance that Wanda had accompanied them and they were actually dangerous.

The gang rushed inside and down to the hallway where the door had been ripped off by Fred. Forge was waiting for them.

" Thanks for the warning, but I don't think Wanda's with them," Forge said as he joined the group and lead them down to his experiment room. The door was bent up next to the doorway.

" What're they after?" Scott demanded, slowing the group down by holding out his hand. Forge shrugged.

" I haven't made anything they should be interested in,"

" They probably want that gizmo that transported those monsters back to Kurt's little dark and gloomy world," Kitty suggested, swinging her hips to one side. Kurt gave her a nasty look.

" Figures. Alright, X-men. You know the drill. This won't take very long," Scott joked, before motioning for them to fan out.

They ran through the doorway and found the Brotherhood tearing through Forge's work and looking at all his experiments. When they came inside, however, the Brotherhood turned towards them. Wanda was there, but she was leaning against the wall and ignoring the plight of her fellow Brethren. She ignored the X-men too, turning her head to one side.

" What've you done to my lab!" Forge exclaimed, gripping his hair and gawking at the mess. Kurt appeared in front of him.

" Vou shouldn't be here,"

" But.. But... But.."

" Brotherhood, whatever it is you're looking for, look for it someplace else," Scott warned, his eyes glowing. Lance faced him.

" This has nothing to do with you geeks, so go back home. We don't wanna fight," he answered, looking more at Kitty then Scott. She sighed and glanced away. Scott took a step forward.

" Look, we're looking for something important, okay, so just go back to your mansion and we'll call when we're done," Pietro teased. Evan's spikes came out but he didn't fire them just yet.

" They want to do this the hard way," Scott muttered, " In your places, everyone. Alvers, you're gonna regret this," a red beam shot out of his eyes. Toad dodged it, knocking into one of the tables. The next beam hit him dead in the chest and he crashed back into one of the walls with a scream.

" MY LAB!!" Forge shouted as Pietro zapped past, avoiding all of Evan's spikes. Things began to explode as the spikes shot through them.

The ground rolled, Lance's eyes going back and tables went up and electronics crashed to the floor. Kitty fazed through the rolling earth and ran forward. Fred grabbed one of the bigger experiments and threw them at where Jean and Rogue were. Jean stopped them in midair and threw them right back. Fred blocked them with an arm as Kurt tackled Toad to the ground. They fought as always before Toad kicked him backwards and into the last standing table. It went back, Kurt slammed into the wall next to where Wanda was standing, and suddenly there was a loud noise.

" Oh no!! I haven't fixed the bug in that one yet!!" Forge yelled right as a beam shot out and into the four Brotherhood boys. They all screamed as a white light blinded them and a fierce wind began to rip their uniforms and cut their skin. Pietro tried to move but none of them could move. What felt like fire roared over their bodies and the white light consumed them, everyone else in the room having to cover their eyes from the light itself. When it subsided, hands were lowered and everyone there let out horrified gasps and screams.

Standing there weren't the Brotherhood boys, but, rather, four females that bore a striking resemblance to them. The four had been transformed into girls. And all four were next to naked, their uniforms in shreds around them.

Lance's brown hair was shoulder long, straight and falling into his face, which was feminine but not girly. His chest was large, his hips curved. His legs were long and shapely, like that of an athlete. His body was that of a tomboy girl with a diva's chest.

Pietro looked surprisingly like a blond Wanda, his legs beautiful and endless, his chest even bigger then Lance's. His waist was tiny and his hips were full. His blond hair fell to his chin and was as messy and unruly as Wanda's had been when she first came.

Toad was petite, with a small chest but very curved hips and a round ass. His waist was extremely small, his legs muscle and nothing else. His hair was messy and fell around his shoulders, near his chest. His face was full, like a much younger girls, and his nose had changed to a small button one. His teeth were even white.

Fred was still very tall, with the biggest chest and hips of them. He was voluptuous in the most mature way, the rest of his body matching in equal sized curves. He wasn't perfectly slender like the others, but he looked thin anyways. His hair was still cut in a mohawk fashion, only it reached his chin and was pushed to one side.

" HOLY SHIT!! WHAT THE HELL!!" Lance shouted, covering his new bosom and blushing. The others followed in similar fashions, all their faces as red as Wanda's outfit.

" I tried to tell you. It had a bug in it," Forge sheepishly said, picking up the cracked machine, " It's been doing this forever. I gave up years ago,"

" Who cares about that!! Turn us back!!" Pietro ordered, holding what remained of his uniform in place. Forge swallowed hard, running a hand through his hair.

" Um... I can't... I never found out how,"

" Ya mean we're stuck like this!!" Toad exclaimed, looking over at the others with wide eyes. Forge shrugged and nodded.

" Until I can come up with another gizmo, looks like it,"

" Easy for you to say, but what happens to us!!" Lance demanded, the ground shaking just slightly.

" Um... become the Sisterhood of Evil Mutants?" Forge suggested, weakly smiling. The four stared in horror at him.


	2. Chapter 2

- I forgot I'd put this in last time. Anyways, what it meant was that Kitty was talking about the episode Shadowdance, when Forge reveals a new machine similar to the one in Middleverse. It looks the same but basically sends things back where they came from. Now on the chapter two!

And for my own sake, the Brotherhood will still be referred to as 'he' and 'him' and 'his' and such. For me, it's just easier. Thanks.

* * *

Xavier sat in front of the Brotherhood, who were clad in loose T-shirts and shorts generously provided by the X-men. Wanda sat next to her brother, staring at his new chest in horror. He glanced at her and they both grimaced.

" I can provide image inducers for you, but... they won't change much. And no image inducer can hide how you're bodies would feel to the touch. And the chests may be a problem," he explained, holding up one of the inducers, " Changing female into male is much more difficult then male into female,"

" So.. They're kinda pointless, right?" Pietro said, moving his hair back. Xavier nodded, " Well, then, we'll just live as girls. Forge'll have us fixed up in no time, right?"

" Um.. Not exactly..." Forge interrupted, stepping forward from the wall he'd been leaning against, " That experiment was supposed to be my science project in the seventies. But since it didn't work, I started on my other one. All these one did was turn my friend into a boy. Seems all it does is change people's sex,"

" Then just blast us again," Toad suggested, pointing at the gizmo.

" No good. It'd probably kill you," the four shuddered, " When I tried to turn Sam back, she nearly died and I had to stop the process halfway through. Um... then I started work on my other one and didn't have a chance to work on a counter experiment,"

" So... what? You need a week or something?" Pietro questioned, crossing his legs quickly. Forge rubbed his arm uncomfortably.

" Um... actually... it could take years... I have no idea what to do. This one's broken, so I can't analyze it for clues..." Forge informed them, running a hand through his hair, " Looks like you guys... er girls... will be like that for a while.."

" Years!! We could be like this for years!!" Pietro exclaimed, suddenly on his feet. Lance looked like he'd been shot and Toad and Fred looked at each other in disgust, before shuddering.

" Sorry,"

" Oh my God... there goes my life," the speedster sank back down onto the couch. Xavier looked at all of them, sighing.

" I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do for you now. I'll work with Forge as best I can to help him find an answer," he assured them. He received no response , save for a couple desperate glances, " If you need a place to stay, you're more then wel-"

" We'll survive, Professor. Thanks," Lance cut him off, getting to his feet. He cast a forlorn glance at Kitty, who quickly looked away, " I'm sure... Wanda can teach us... a thing or two... but we'll take those inducer... just in case, right, guys?"

" I'm going home to hang myself," Pietro hissed before vanishing out the library door. Fred grabbed the hand full of inducer and walked out of the room. Toad looked over at Wanda and smiled weakly.

" No," was all she said before getting to her feet and leaving. Toad hurried after her, exclaiming that he was a different person now and asking her wasn't that what she wanted. She screamed in rage but he continued to follow her as she stormed after Fred.

" This... um... puts a damper on our relationship, doesn't it, Kitty?" Lance muttered, wishing he didn't sound like such a girl. She looked up at him with sad eyes and weakly nodded.

" I'm sorry... I can't..."

" No... it's okay... I understand..." he turned without another word and left the library as well, head hung low and hands shoved into his pockets. Kitty bit her lower lip but didn't call out to him or even try to stop him. She just let him leave.

Outside, the Brotherhood climbed into Lance's car and headed home. Halfway there, however, Wanda leaned forward from the back seat. Lance briefly glanced her way.

" I doubt any of you will fit into your old clothes. You need to buy some more," she casually told him, before leaning back in the seat next to Pietro and Toad. All four choked, " And you need underwear,"

" God dammit. Could this night get any worse?" Lance hissed, roughly jerking the car around in a U-turn.

" I doubt it," Pietro sneered as he sank down in his seat.

" Oh, it can. We still gotta get the clothes," Fred answered, touching his wild hair. Lance groaned, before taking the road that lead to the mall, " And be seen in public,"

" We're not going to the mall, then," Lance muttered, turning the car around again and speeding off towards the little clothes outlet. He parked in front and climbed out, motioning for the others to come with him, " Don't fucking talk to anyone. We look like whore in these clothes... except you Wanda... of course,"

The five walked into the store. The clerk ignored their presence and they fanned out to try and find clothes that fit and were their style. Wanda stayed with her brother and tried to find him the right size. They settled for her size and he zapped into the dressing room to change. Wanda stayed outside as he tried them on and declared them a perfect fit.

" Yay. It's that wonderful, sis? We can trade clothes now!" he declared, modeling the outfit for her. She rolled her eyes, " I look hot, don't I?"

" You're gay," Lance said, walking by and into a dressing room. His choice in clothes were some that were bigger then normal. The last thing he wanted was for some random guy to start checking him out. The thought itself made him gag.

" How do you figure out what size bra to wear?" Fred asked Wanda, leaning down. She blushed a little before telling him how to measure the part below the breast for the number and then measuring over the breasts to find out the number difference, which would give the cup size ( one inch A, two inch B, and so on). He nodded, before grabbing some measuring tape and excusing himself into a dressing room to fit himself. He found himself to be a 40DD, of which the store didn't carry.

" You'll have to buy it tomorrow at the mall," she answered when he told her. He weakly nodded, holding the clothes he'd found to be his size.

" I'm a 38D, what about you, Lance?" Pietro asked, pushing up his own chest. Lance turned a bright red, coughing a little. He muttered a number, " 36C? Well, that's pretty good. How about you, Toad?"

" Huh? I dunno. I haven't measured yet. I don't wanna bra," Toad said, hands on his hips. The others gave him weird looks, " It won't help anythin'. I need ta axe someone about ways ta completely restrain my chest. I hop, 'member?"

" Oh yeah... hey Wanda, what color sports bra should I get?" Pietro asked, holding up a red one and a white one. She moaned and turned away.

" You're getting way too into this, Quicksilver," Lance snapped, before going back into the dressing room to change. He stuck out his tongue.

" If I'm going to be a girl for a couple years, I'm going to like the way I look. Besides, I can just act lesbian. I'm sexy enough to turn straight girls," he said, before choosing the white sports bra. Wanda walked away so he couldn't ask her anymore questions. It really was too embarrassing for her.

After Wanda left, the others figured they better hurry up before she took off with the car. They went up to the counter, paid for their clothes, then headed out to the car and got inside. Lance revved it to life and finally headed towards their home.

Tomorrow, they would begin their new lives as the 'Sisterhood'. And it would begin with Fred going to the mall for a bra and Toad searching for answers on what to do with his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

Toad surfed the web on a laptop he'd stolen a month beforehand, searching for an answer to his problem. He ignored the noise coming from upstairs. He clicked into a certain website as Lance walked into the living room, smoothing his shirt over his flat stomach. Lance looked terrible.

" Didn't ya sleep last night?" he asked, looking through the contents on the site. It was about this Japanese technique used by warriors to secure their chests. It was simply wrapping this tape around the breasts to flatten them and then fastening it back.

" No. I was thinking about Kitty,"

" Aw, she won't turn lesbo fer ya?"

" No. She won't even talk to me,"

" We always told ya she wouldn't love ya forever. Good thing ya figured it out this early," Toad teased, changing his search to that of one looking for Japanese shops in Bayville.

" Shut the fuck up, Toad. Wanda's not gay either,"

" She neva liked me ta begin with. At least now I look better,"

" Do you ever give up?"

" No,"

" You're an idiot,"

" An' ya sittin' by the phone hopin' that geek will call ya. What that make chu?" Toad smiled a wicked smile over the laptop at him. Lance threw a pillow into his face, turning a bright red. Toad stuck out his tongue and wrote down the location of a promising store.

" I DIDN'T SAY YOU COULD WEAR THAT!!!" came Wanda's voice right as Pietro zapped down the stairs in an outfit that echoed his sister's Gothic attire. She stormed down the stairs after him.

" Come on, sis. We look great together. Now let's go pick up dates," he protested, looping arms with him. She gave him a disgusted look, " Come on, we'll make it a double date. I'll be right there so you don't get nervous,"

" I'll come, baby cakes!! I'll be ya date!!" Toad exclaimed, snapping the laptop shut and hopping to his feet. Wanda looked closer to throwing up then relief.

" No! To both of you! Now take my clothes off, Pietro!!" she barked, grabbing his arm and jerking him off towards the stairs. Fred walked down them, trying to stop his chest from bouncing so much as he did.

" I'm heading to the mall," he said, leaning in the doorway. Lance tossed him the keys, but Toad's tongue wrapped around them and he caught them.

" Yo, I'm goin' too. I need ta go ta this place, so ya can drop me off on the way," he said, twirling the keys around and grinning, " See ya later, lover boy," Lance flicked them off, staring at the phone.

" No time to change now, Wanda. We're coming too! We need to go to... uh.. How about that bookstore?" Pietro smiled at his sister as she snapped that there was definitely time for him of all people to change. He ignored her and dragged her out of the house. Fred rolled his eyes but followed them out.

" Alright! I'm coming!" Lance finally said, getting to his feet and marching past Toad, snatching the keys from him, " I'm driving!! Everyone in back!" he said, climbing into the car as Toad hopped up front, " Where am I headed first?"

* * *

Fred nervously walked into a girly shop, Lance following him with a soda. A salesperson flocked over to them but stopped short when she saw their baggy pants and doubled up shirts. She just doubled back and hurried over at the nearest thing in a skirt. They rolled their eyes and started to search the sizes. Surprisingly, they weren't embarrassed to be touching, for the first time, real underwear. Lance found that pretty weird, but Fred didn't think too much about it. 

" Here's my size," he said, taking down a couple of bras. Lance drifted behind him as they went to the dressing room so he could try them on.

" Pietro's gonna be jealous when he sees," Lance said, sipping his drink. Inside the changing room, Fred blushed and slipped on the bra the way Lance had told him to.

While Fred changed from one bra to the next to make sure they all fit, Lance pulled out his cell phone and checked his messages. Nothing. Sighing, he flipped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket.

" She's not gonna call, Lance,"

" I know,"

" Then why check yer messages?" Fred questioned, leaving the changing room and holding the bras. Lance shrugged and cast a glance down at his breasts before shrugging again, " You'll get over it,"

" We could be normal in a week or two. You never know,"

" But it could be years,"

" She'll wait,"

" Yeah right. And Toad's gonna marry Wanda and they'll have beautiful children," he joked, leading the way to the counter. He paid the outrageous price for the underwear, then looked over his shoulder at Lance.

Silent tears were rolling down his cheeks as he sipped his soda. They rolled down and fell from his chin to the cup but he didn't even seem to notice. His cheeks were flushed and he was crying, yet his face remained as blank as ever. He'd come to terms with this already. Fred patted his shoulder and pushed him out of the store. They started to walk through the mall, Fred checking the time and Lance crying silently for his lost love.

He'd worked so very hard to finally win Kitty's heart. Trial and error had eventually pushed their destinies together and she'd excepted him for who he was. They'd started going steady and they'd shared their first kiss just the other day. They were supposed to get married and live happily together forever. And then she'd just so easily turned him away because of something he couldn't control. It was as if she was turning him away because he was a mutant. It hurt the same, he supposed.

Everything he'd worked for was gone. He'd been up all night trying to talk to her about it. She won't even talk about it. She said she couldn't love him if he was a girl and then hung up, every time he called. Six hours later he broke down and just cried over the answering machine for her to pick up. She never did and he stopped calling after a while. He just punched his pillow and sobbed, wishing there was some other way for them to be together and cursing whoever had decided to play this game with his heart.

He'd cried all night and still the tears rolled down his face. He was just glad Fred hadn't said anything about it. Then he would've lost it and he really didn't want to have to make a scene.

He sipped his soda and swallowed hard, gently wiping away the tears with the back of his hand. Fred patted his shoulder again and gave it a squeeze. He smiled weakly, one last tear escaping and making it's hot run down his face.

* * *

Wanda picked up the latest vampire novel out in stores and began to flip through it. Behind her, Pietro flocked aimlessly around the pron section, checking out all his favorite titles. He opened one and gawked at the spread, not even having the decency to blush. Wanda twitched, putting the book under her arm. As her brother went to grab another one, her hand wrapped around his shirt collar and pulled him backwards. 

" Stop acting like that, Pietro! We're in public and you're embarrassing me!" she growled, eyes as narrowed as they ever got. Pietro shuddered in her grasp and choked out an okay, " Take what you want, I'm going to the counter, now,"

" I just want this one,"

" Fine," she dragged him over to the counter and slammed down the two things. The man rang it up as Pietro fixed his top. Neither of the Maximoffs failed to notice him watched, " Stop staring at my sister, you pervert!"

" Ew, gross!!"

" Er... sorry," he said after Pietro had smacked him and covered his chest in the same motion. He collected their money and the two stormed out, both looking equally evil. People on the street seemed to jump out of their way.

" Where are we heading next?" Pietro happily asked, looping arms with her again. She gave him an annoyed look, " Oh, come on. We're out, no one else is with us, and we never get a chance to spend time together. We're siblings. We should,"

" Since when did you decide to care?"

" Beats me. Let's go out for lunch, my treat,"

" Where?"

" Do you like sushi?"

" I don't know,"

" Sushi it is. I know a great place. You'll love it," Pietro pulled her off in a direction she'd never been. She allowed him, although she wasn't so sure why, " And don't worry, no one should hit on us there,"

" I didn't know you liked sushi,"

" You don't know much about me, Wanda," he answered, before holding a door open for her. She walked inside a small but classy sushi place. A waiter walked over and took the two to their table. Pietro grinned over the table at her.

" I don't know what to get," she said, looking over the menu. He took hers from her and snapped them shut.

" I'll order for you, don't worry," he waved for the waiter to come over. Then he ordered two orders of the special and thanked the waiter, who left promptly, " You'll love it, don't worry. I promise. So, tell me how life's been, sis?" he looked at her intently, smiling a kind smile she normally didn't see, especially on him.

At first, she wasn't so sure she trusted this brother in front of her. It seemed so strange that he was interested in her affairs now. Then again, she figured, smiling to herself, she didn't really know anything about him. All her memories were of their father, not him. Now was a good chance to get to know him. That was definitely something she wanted to do.

Leaning forward, she began to tell him all the things she was into, including books and music. He joined right on in, laughing and smiling at this chance to finally get to know the sister that his father had stolen from him. After all these years, he was finally laughing with his sister. He'd never thought it'd feel that uplifting, yet it was. He couldn't stop smiling. Happily, neither could she.

* * *

Toad walked into the Japanese shop that he'd found online. No one came up to him, so he just started to walk around, searching for the tape he needed for his chest. He wandered around for a few minutes before stumbling across it. He grabbed a couple rolls and headed for the counter to pay with money he'd stolen out of Lance's wallet. He paid and turned around. 

A boy with red hair walked into him and knocked the bag Toad had been holding onto the ground. The boy dropped down at the same time Toad did and their heads collided, sending both of them backwards. The boy moaned, laughing a little, and Toad assumed his usual crouching position, holding his head and rubbing the spot that ached.

" I'm so sorry about that," the boy said, grabbing the bag off the floor and holding it out to him. Toad took it and stood up. The boy rose up too and held out his hand, " Hi, I'm Walter Jones. My friends call me Wally,"

" Names Toad," he said, roughly shaking his hand. Wally smiled brightly, " I need to be g-"

" Wait! Um... I saw you walking around. And... I wanted... to know if you wanted to get a soda or something?" he suggested, blushing slightly. Toad stared at him as if he was crazy, " Um... maybe I should've said that differently... um.. I think you're cute?"

" C-cute?" he stuttered out, turning a perfect shade of red. No one had ever in his entire life called him that before. He couldn't help but blush and be a little bit flattered, " Ya... ya... think I'm cute?"

" Um... yes..."

" And... ya wanna get a soda? With me?"

" Y-yes..."

" Cuz chu think I'm cute?"

" Did I come on too strong?"

" Sorta," Toad said, running a hand through his hair and surprised to find it a lot longer then before. He glanced at his hair, made a mental note to wash it when he got home, and turned back to Wally. The red head smiled again, shoving his hands nervously into his jeans, " I guess a soda's okay,"

" Really! Oh, that's real sweet of you, Toad! Thank you! Where would you like to go!" he asked, reaching forward to take his arm. Toad instinctively jerked back, " Um... do you like seafood?"

" Um... not really,"

" Oh... barbeque?" he suggested, opening the door for him. Toad fought the urge to hop and walked outside the store. Wally followed him as Toad shook his head, " Chicken then?" Toad shook his head again, " Then, what do you eat?"

" Let's just get a soda and we'll talk about that later," he answered, clutching his bag to him.

" Am I making you nervous?"

" More then ya know. This is my first... d-date,"

" No. Not a pretty girl like you!" Wally exclaimed, stopping Toad in his tracks. Toad glanced to the left, then the right, and finally back at him, " You're being truthful, aren't you? But why? You're adorable,"

" You'll find out eventually, I'm sure," he said in a low tone, staring down at his sneakers. Wally waved him off, before walking him across the street to a diner. Deep down inside, Toad felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt terrible. He was on basically on a date with a boy but he wasn't gay and he wasn't really a girl. He was letting this nice boy believe a lie and that was killing him. More then that, however, was the fact that this nice boy, the only person who'd ever been nice to him, was going to leave as soon as he found out the truth.

" Wait, Wally... there's somethin' I need ta tell ya," he said, grabbing his wrist. Wally gave him a big smile but Toad just stared at the ground. He knew it was better to get it over with now then wait until he fell in love with someone else. He had a bad habit of doing that.

He took a deep breath and looked up at Wally's shining blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Wally stared at Toad with wide, stunned eyes when he finished talking. For a moment, they stood there in silence. Toad glanced away, clutching his bag, and waited for Wally to walk away. Instead, he heard laughter and when he looked back over, the boy was running a hand through his red hair.

" Really? Changed into a girl? That's hilarious!! That's a riot!!! I feel for you, I really do," he assured him, patting his shoulder and smiling. Toad blinked slowly, confused.

" Uh... thanks?"

" Now, how about that soda, hm?"

" Wait... what about what I just told ya? Ya still gonna take me out?" Toad asked, giving him a weird look. Wally stopped trying to pull him across the street, " Don't cha care or nothin'?"

" No. My brother changed sexes earlier this year. I'm just glad you're all woman. Um... you are, aren't you?"

" Yeah,"

" Then I don't care. Now how about tha-"

" Yo, hold on. What 'bout the mutant thang? Now I know ya have ta be freaked out about that," Toad stopped him, holding onto his T-shirt. Wally gave him wide, pleading eyes.

" Do you want me to say I'm freaked out?" Wally teased, laughing, before narrowing his eyes, " You're not one of those glutton for punishment types, are you?"

" Uh... I don't think sos..."

" Then why all the questions?"

" Um... I ain't neva been liked before," was his only answer as he nervously looked down at his ratty sneakers. Wally tilted his head back up and stared him straight in the eyes, his gaze very intent. Toad swallowed hard, feeling nervous all over again and really wishing he would look away. This was the first time in his life someone gave him such a heartfelt stare. He was just slightly creeped out.

" I like you, Toad," Wally informed him, smiling that happy smile, releasing him. He looped arms with him, " Now, how about that soda? Still up for it?"

" Um.. Yeah... okay... whatever, yo," he mumbled, allowing himself to be pulled off towards the diner. Inside it, he choked as Wally asked for a table for two and the waitress commented on what a cute couple they made. Cute couple. That phrase repeated itself endlessly in his head as they were sat down and Wally ordered them some soda.

Wally grinned across the table, slightly blushing himself. Toad shivered, hugging himself and wishing he knew what he was supposed to do or say. As he'd said, he'd never been on a date before. No one had ever thought of him in a positive sense, so getting a date had been next to impossible. Now, here he was, on his first day as a female, and he was sitting in a diner with a cute red head who wouldn't stop staring at him because he thought he was cute.

In a way, Toad was thrilled. He'd always wanted to know what it felt like to go out on a real date and gaze lovingly at someone for hours on end. True, he doubted he'd be doing that with Wally that afternoon, if ever. However, he'd been asked out. Someone had actually asked him out. That in itself was a wonderful feeling. The fact that they were on the date was merely a bonus he couldn't have been happier about.

On the other hand, he'd only been asked out because he'd been turned into a girl and barely looked like himself. So, the whole ordeal didn't really seem real. Like suddenly finding yourself in someone else's life, looking out through eyes that weren't yours and wondering what was going on. The whole dream like feel of the date made Toad's head swim.

" Something wrong, Toad? You don't look too good," Wally's voice cut across his thoughts, a hand touching his own. Toad snapped out of his daze and looked at him with wide eyes, " You have lovely eyes,"

" I'ma not gonna be a girl forever," he blurted out, before blushing deeply. Wally's smile didn't change as he picked up Toad's hand and kissed it. The blush got even deeper.

" I'm bi, Toad. I don't care what you are," he tenderly kissed each finger, massaging the webbing between each finger. Toad's head felt dizzy.

" I'm... not cute as a boy,"

" You have lovely eyes, Toad," he kissed his hand again, before he gave him a wolfish smile. Toad smiled back, " Such lovely eyes,"

* * *

Wanda and Pietro walked arm and arm out of the sushi place, waving good bye to the waitress and giggling to themselves. They couldn't have felt better. They'd spent the last hour or so talking about nothing, Wanda blathering on about how she hated her eye liner stick and Pietro raving about how terrible school used to be. Eventually, they'd just started laughing about nothing and had to excuse themselves or risk being thrown out for bothering the other customers.

" Oh, Pietro, can we stop in there for a minute? I need to pick up some new eyeliner," Wanda said, pointing at a Gothic shop on the corner. He agreed and they hurried across the street to it. Inside they slipped, still arm and arm.

Wanda left him to go search through the make up for her brand. Pietro hung back and began to browse through all the clothes. Most of it brought his sister to mind but he found that he liked a couple things. Holding them up to his body, he faintly wondered if spending time with his sister would change him into a Goth like her. Couldn't say that bothered him. He thought Wanda always looked wonderful.

" Can I help you find something, Miss?" can a voice behind him. Pietro jumped, spinning around. Standing behind him was a tall, slender Gothic boy with fluffy black hair and deeply outlined grey eyes. An employees tag was on his shirt.

" Uh... well... Adam... I guess so. Maybe you could help me find my sister. I've misplaced her," he joked, putting up the clothes. He had no money and he wasn't about to steal literally right in front of a store clerk. He'd have to come back later for it.

" What's she look like?"

" Me, but with black hair,"

" Twins?"

" There you are," Wanda suddenly said, strolling over. Pietro smiled big, flocking over to her. Adam's eyes brightened up when he saw Wanda standing there and Pietro didn't fail to notice when they did, " I got my make up. Are you ready to go?"

" Sure thing,"

" I'll ring you up," Adam quickly said, grinning big. She turned to him as though she'd just noticed his existence. His smile shook under her heavy gaze. Wanda handed him her eye liner and he lead them over to the counter. Pietro trooped after them, eyeing his sister to see how she would react to this boy's obvious interest in her. She seemed oblivious.

" Wanda, don't you think he's cute?" he whispered into her ear as the clerk rang up her purchase. Wanda gave him a look but he only smiled.

" I get enough unwanted attention from that creep back home,"

" Unwanted? He's totally your type,"

" I don't even know him," she snapped, blushing slightly. Pietro perked up at that sign of affection, watching as she just barely glanced at Adam as he bagged her one stick of eye liner. Pretend as she might, he was sure she agreed with him and thought this Goth was cute, perhaps even her type after all.

" Talk to him,"

" No," Wanda then turned away from Pietro and paid for her make up. She walked out without another word. Adam stared out after her, sighing loudly. He froze in mid sigh, however, when he saw Pietro still standing there.

" Here's our number. Ask for Wanda," he brightly informed him, before jotting down the Boarding House's number and zapping off after his sister.

* * *

Wally walked Toad to the corner, laughing at Toad's dramatic retelling of one of the Brotherhood's failed missions. When they reached the corner, they were both red across the face and really regretting that their time together had come to an end. Slowly, the laughter subsided and Wally held onto Toad's hip, trying to prevent him from leaving. Toad wasn't even trying. He didn't want to. He liked the feel of Wally's hand on his hip.

" Can't I walk you the rest of the way home?" Wally questioned, pleading for some more time with him. Toad bit his lower lip, shaking his head, " Why not?"

" It's a long way, man,"

" So, you wanna walk it yourself?"

" My friends are comin' ta pick me up,"

" Can I stay until they get here?" he asked, figuring Toad's cuff, before slipping his hand into Toad's. They were quiet for a moment, " Am I moving to fast? I mean... we just met... but..."

" Naw... it's okay... I don't mind," Toad squeezed his hand gently, smiling slightly at the very thought of holding Wally's hand, " I'd like... um... fer ya ta stay..."

" Toad... will you be my girlfriend? Boyfriend? Partner?" Wally suddenly asked, rasing his eyes from their hands to his eyes. Toad gawked at him for a long time, " I feel like I've known you for years. Please?"

" Um.. I... I... I..." he stuttered out, glancing around for a second, searching for the answer on the ground. Wally squeezed his hand tight, biting his lip and swallowing hard, " I don't... I... we just met... and..." he stopped when he saw their hands intertwined, his face growing hot, " Yeah... that sounds good,"

" Girlfriend or boyfriend?"

" Whichever..."

Wally leaned down and gave Toad a kiss on the cheek. Both of them burned red but smiled, gripping each other's hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance threw his soda away as they walked through the mall with their bags. By now, he knew, Toad and the twins would be waiting for him at the corner. Yet, he really didn't feel like going home right then. If he did, he'd have to face the fact that the answering machine wouldn't be blinking because Kitty wouldn't have called for him. So, instead, he turned towards Fred.

" Any place you wanna stop by before heading out?"

" Not really. Let's just go home,"

" Oh... A-are you sure?" he tried to keep his voice strong, but he couldn't help it. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Fred caught the motion and realized what was going on.

" Well... I guess we could try to find some more clothes or something," he muttered, pointing over at a small little store. Lance said a silent prayer as they headed over to said store. The two ducked inside, feeling so out of place it wasn't even funny. They'd never even been in a store so girly before and now they were looking for clothes there. It was surreal.

The two drifted around all the racks of clothing together, picking up a few pairs of pants and checking the size and style. Lance was strongly reminded of Kitty and felt a pang of agony in his heart. He quickly tossed the jeans down and shuddered. The very fact that he'd been thinking of buying a pair of jeans that looked like something his ex girlfriend used to wear was not only painful, but sickening. What was he thinking? He wouldn't wear clothes that girly, even if he was a girl now.

" Let's get the fuck outta here, Fred. These clothes suck," he muttered, glancing around for his friend. However, he found that he was alone. Getting up on tippy-toe, for no apparent reason, he scanned the store for Fred. He spotted him over at a different section and he jogged over that way, " Hey, loser, what the hell are you doing?"

" They don't have my size," he just barely whispered, staring straight at the floor so Lance wouldn't see his blush.

" Huh? What? What'd you mean?"

" They don't have my size," he repeated, feeling absolutely idiotic. Lance stared, his brain taking a second to comprehend what he was saying. Then it clicked and he himself blushed deeply.

" Um... well... who cares, right? Let's go. This place is a rip off anyways," he tried to act casual about it, but he found he couldn't help but sound nervous.

He wasn't sure what he should be saying, to put it simply. Hadn't Fred been big all his life? Wasn't he used to this sort of thing? Or could it be that he'd hoped that this wouldn't happen now that he was a female and so much thinner? If that was it, this must of been a crushing blow for him. Upon realizing this, Lance swallowed and gently touched Fred's arm so he'd know he was there for him. Other then that, he said nothing. He knew Fred didn't want pity.

Fred stared at the floor for a moment longer, fighting the urge to scream or punch the wall. He tried and tried and tried, then just gritted his teeth and swung his fist into, through, the wall next to him. Lance jumped a little, then gave him the brown eyes of a leader, someone who wasn't about to judge him or tell him he shouldn't of reacted that way. Smiling a little, he ripped his hand out of the wall and shoved both into his jean pockets.

" Let's go. This selection reeks," he said, walking off and past a shaken looking girl. Lance glanced briefly back over at the hole in the wall before following him out of the store.

The two walked in silence, both giving the people around them the evil eye. A couple a boys who looked their way quickly walked off in a different direction. They only stopped so Lance could buy a bottle of water and then headed off towards the exit. As they were almost to the food court, Lance spotted a store tucked into a corner. As he read the sign, he grabbed Fred's arm and pointed.

" Check it out. Chicks have plus sized stores. Why don't we try there?" he said, giving Fred an encouraging smile.

At first, Fred wasn't so sure he wanted to walk into a store that read 'plus sized' on the glass. That was like declaring to the world that he knew he was bigger then everyone else and needed that kind of store to find clothes. Then he remembered the utterly humiliating feeling he'd had when he discovered that the other store hadn't even stocked his size. He knew that he'd prefer 'plus sized' on the glass to having that feeling every time he went shopping. Even if he only felt that way in those preppy stores, it was enough. Chances were he'd go in there a few more times with Pietro. He really didn't want to have the speedster find out about his size problem because he'd probably make a scene about how pitiful it was that people discriminated against people because of weight and then he'd start talking about how Fred shouldn't let that get to him (Pietro liked to cause drama even if he didn't really care about what he was preaching about). He really didn't want to happen. Ever.

" Yeah, okay. That sounds good," he said, heading that way. Lance tagged along after him, drinking his icy water and grinning to himself for finding that place.

The two walked into the store. To their surprise, there were a lot of pretty clothes on display and a thousand others on the racks. Fred left Lance to go find a decent pairs of jeans. Alone, Lance began to aimlessly walk around and look at all the preppy clothes he couldn't imagine Fred ever wearing. As he was looking, he drank his water and fished through the dresses hanging up.

" Um, excuse me, miss, we don't allow drinks in here," came a voice from behind him as someone roughly tapped him on the shoulder. Lance jumped and spun around.

Standing behind him was a curvy girl with lively blue eyes and dirty blond hair cut short and falling into her face. A name tag was on her chest, which bounced as she shifted positions, and it read 'Britney'. She arched an eyebrow in his direction, holding out her hand for his drink. He took one last swing, finished it off, and handed her the empty bottle.

" I bet you think you're something," she cooed, shaking the bottle. He shrugged, " I could throw you out of this store,"

" I'm waiting for a friend,"

" Then go stand by the waiting rooms," she pointed over to them with a smile just barely starting to form on her lips. Lance gave her an award winning smile, titled an imaginary hat at her, and made his way over to the dressing rooms.

After a few moments of waiting there, telling Fred to hurry up, he walked back over to the same spot he'd been before. He watched as Britney watched him walk over there, blatantly disobeying her orders. He waved over at her, then started to shift through the dresses once again. A second later, he heard her heels walking over and heard them start to tap.

" You don't seem like the dressy type," Britney said, turning Lance around. He gave her a look, " What's your name? I like you,"

" Uh... my name's... Avalanche," he muttered, not quite sure how she'd take his real name and the story that came after. She arched an eyebrow again before leaning in and putting her fingertips on his chest.

" Oh, so are you gonna rock my world, eh, Avalanche?" she breathed out, batting her lashes at him. He swallowed, caught up in the smell of her perfume. Before he could answer, however, she backed up, chuckling, " You can call me Brit. I like your kind, Avalanche. You got a real name to go with that shake, huh, honey?"

" Call me Alvers and we'll be fine, for now,"

" A bit paranoid, then?"

" Tiny bit,"

" Well, that's fine. I'm not. Here," she uncapped a pen that was in her back pocket and wrote a number on his forearm, " Call me sometime, babe, and I'll let you rock my world, Alvers. You are single right?"

Lance's face burned bright at that question. There was a flash of Kitty's face, and then there was nothing but the guilt he felt for leading this nice girl on. Brit gave him a strange look, but he swallowed and nodded his head. She broke into one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen in his life and he felt his heart melt and his knees begin to shake.

" Don't worry. If you're nervous, we'll take it slow," she said, patting his arm, before turning away, " Oh, look, a customer,"

" Oh, that's my friend... Dukes," Lance quickly said the name, walking ahead of Brit. She shook her head, muttering how weird it was for friends to call each other by last names, but followed him to the register, " Dukes, this is Brit. She's a... friend of mine,"

" That was fast," Fred teased him, nudging him in the ribs. Lance gave him an evil glare as Fred shook Brit's outstretched hand and then paid for his clothes.

" I'll see you around, ladies. Remember, Avalanche. Call me," Brit breathed out, blowing him a kiss and a wink as they left the store. He waved back, before turning a bright red and walking stiffly next to Fred.

" What about-"

" Let's not talk about it, okay? Let's just say... I... lost my head," was all he said and he looked down at the number on his arm. Fred shut up, knowing how he felt. He'd felt like he'd lost his head when he was in that changing room, trying on all those clothes. He could've swore he felt just like a girl.

" Yeah, let's not talk about it," he said, nodding his head, " Think the others had an interesting time too?" Lance laughed at that, assuring him that if anyone could find an interesting time on their first day as females, it would be Pietro and Toad, no doubt about it. Fred laughed with him, knowing it was true.

* * *

Wanda walked into the kitchen, plugging up her ears to block out the noise coming from the living room. She contacted Xavier, dying to ask him how everything was going with the counter experiment. Fred walked in as she got an answer from the professor and she motioned for Fred to be quiet so she could concentrate on what was being thought.

_Xavier? How're things going? Things are really wild around here. The boys are acting really weird. _

_Well, Forge may have an answer to that, Wanda, don't worry. _

_Oh, good. Then they'll be boys soon?_

_No. Forge has found a bug in the system. _

_A bug? What bug? _

Fred looked through the selection in the kitchen pantry and left with one of Pietro's fruit bars instead of his usual chips. Wanda stared in confusion, watching him walk out. Toad ran out of the living room, holding the phone over his head. Pietro and Lance chased him, screaming swear words.

_Forge says that he believes the experiment can cause the Brotherhood to start feeling and acting as though they'd been female all their lives. Of course, this can be countered when we change them back. However, they may start-_

_Acting fruity?_

" GIMME THE PHONE, TOAD!!! I'M WAITING FOR AN IMPORTANT CALL!!!" Pietro yelled, grabbing Toad quickly. They fought for the phone but Lance snatched it from their hands and began to punch in the numbers that were on his arm.

" Back off, losers. I need to call Brit back," he said, putting the phone to his ear. Toad's tongue wrapped around it and he had it. He turned it off and held it close to his chest, looking rather defensive.

" YA CAN WAIT!!! MY BOYFRIEND'S GONNA BE CALLIN' SOON!!!" he shouted at them, backing away from the two.

" GIMME THE PHONE!!! THAT BOY'S GONNA CALL ME!!!" Pietro yelled, tackling Toad to the floor. Lance grabbed the phone again but was suddenly on the floor with Pietro on top of him. Toad took hold of the phone and the three started to wrestle the other for the right to have the phone.

Fred took a bite out of the fruit bar and stared at the three, the phone falling at his feet.

_Don't worry, Wanda. They should be almost completely normal. _

_Oh, trust me, they are._

_Then there's nothing to worry about._

_Who said I was worried? I just wanted to know why they were all suddenly acting weirder then normal. Thanks for the answer, Xavier. _

Wanda unplugged her ears and turned just as the phone started ringing. The three stopped in their tracks, all holding someone else's hair or neck, as Fred leaned down and answered the phone. They untangled themselves and hurried over, demanding to know who was on the other line.

" It's for Toad,"

" BITCHIN'!!!" he cheered, snatching the phone and flicking the other two off. Lance punched him in the arm, storming off outside to go work on his car. Pietro zapped off, shouting that if an Adam called, it was for him. Fred ignored them and left too, " Yo, Wally, how're ya been, baby?"

" This whole thing is so wrong on so many levels," Wanda said to herself as Toad trooped off into the living room to talk to Wally. She sighed and went back into the kitchen, reminding herself that it was only temporary.

Or so she hoped.


	6. Chapter 6

A/ Sorry for the wait. Love Sai-Chan

* * *

A week had sped by the Boarding House. Things had gone from strange to downright creepy, at least for Wanda. All four of the boys had completely fallen into the 'roles' of their female sides, just as Forge and Xavier had predicted. By the time the week was done with, they acted exactly as they would have if they'd been born and raised female. Although the changes were subtle at most, as their personalities were left intact, anyone who knew them as well as the Scarlet Witch did would notice some drastic difference in the Brotherhood.

Some modesty had appeared in them. The house seemed a little bit neater, the kitchen a tiny bit cleaner. The clothing style had changed, of course, and kept changing until they were satisfied; for the most part, they still wore boys' clothing. The fighting had gone from wrestling to more of a catty wrestling with hair pulling and biting included. Despite this, though, the most noticeable changes were in the boys themselves.

Pietro was highly interested in the same things as his twin sister. He wanted to get to know her feminine lifestyle rather then seek out his own. He was still the sports fanatic he always was, but he noticed the outfits the men wore almost as much as the game itself. Outside that, he was still the same cocky Quicksilver he always was. The perfect ice queen.

Lance had developed a liking for the mall that he'd never shown before. Chances were, he went to see Brit more then shop, though. As Forge explained it, Lance had been the only one of the boys to seriously consider a female shortly after the transformation had taken place. Therefore, he was lesbian, whereas the others ought to be straight; there were good odds, however, of them being bisexual. That new 'change' in sexuality was making him question a couple of his other faiths. Still, he was Avalanche, the same hard ass he'd always been.

Fred was the one who retained the most of his original quirks. One of the few things that seemed to have changed was simply the fact that he actually cared about his looks and kinda wanted to lose weight. He wasn't really pursuing the goal, though. It was just something he'd heavily thought about since becoming female. Aside from that, he was basically the same.

Toad, on the other hand, was the one who'd gone through the most changes. He had become more concerned with his appearance, his hygiene, and looking 'cute'. They'd assumed that had to do with Wally, but Forge calmly informed them it didn't. The female side of Toad was always destined to change in those ways because the female side had to make boys want her more so that she could 'mate'. As in, Toad's mutation and how it effected him had to do entirely with his gender. Whereas his male side desired nothing more then to please it's lover, the female desired to impress them so it could be pleased. Wally's presence just meant that Toad wouldn't start fawning over anything that remotely looked good in jeans. Thus explaining how socially retarded Toad would be so comfortable with his new relationship and why he was the one who'd changed the most.

These changes had come over the first week. Wanda had ignored them the best she could and had dealt with all the phone calls coming in for the boys. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. Declaring in a loud voice so her brother could hear her, she stated that she was taking the car and going out to the Goth shop for some time out. In a split second, Pietro was standing next to her, all dolled up in a morbid style outfit quite similar to her own.

" I'm ready when you are, sis. Can I drive?" he asked brightly, pushing back his hair. Suddenly, it was pulled back in a tight ponytail.

" No," Lance answered for her, dropping the keys in the Goth's hands, " You'll get in a wreck for sure. Wanda, take care of my car. It's my baby," he added on, giving her a pleading look.

" Boys are so simple," she sneered, jerking open the door and slamming head on into a red headed boy reaching for the doorbell. Both stumbled backwards, Pietro catching his sister and turning wide blue eyes on the boy.

" I'm so sorry! Are you okay, Miss?!" he exclaimed, rushing forward. He fumbled the flowers in his hands, desperately trying to help her.

" Don't I know you from somewhere?" the blond questioned, righting his sister so the boy would stop freaking out. He did a double take as both twins leered down at him, searching his face for familiarity.

" Um... I'm... Toad's boyfriend... Wally..."

" Oh, that's right! You're the idiot dating that retard!" Pietro exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. Wally flared red, his knees starting to shake, " Wow, you have really bad taste in women er men! I mean, Toad? You just went with the first thing that said 'yo', didn't ya?"

" GOD DAMMIT QUICKSILVER!!!" Lance roared, smacking the blond upside the head. Wanda turned ice cold eyes on the earth mover, her hands grasping her twin's head as he moaned; he wasn't used to getting hit because he usually avoided the blows, " Don't! You need to teach that bastard some manners! Wally and Todd have ever right to fuckin' like each other! Besides, you two shouldn't care! It only means he ain't interested in you anymore, Wanda!"

" And you don't have any right to hit my brother, Alvers!"

" Yeah, jackass! Don't you fuckin' hit me again! I don't have to have manners if I don't want to!" Pietro snapped, hands on his hips, " And don't yell at my sister!"

" T...Toad... liked... you...?" Wally's voice was quiet, but still managed to catch all three off guard. They all spun towards him, shouting 'YES'. He drew back, clutching the flowers, " Um... that is... um... to say..."

" Yo, what chu doin' here, Wally?" Toad said, his voice dropping down from the ceiling as he did. He stood up and his boyfriend turned the color of a cherry, both hands going up to his nose, as he saw the small figure of his beloved so clearly due to the tank top and short shorts. Both Maximoffs arched eye brows.

" Holy shit! Don't fucking do that anymore!" Lance screamed, punching Toad in the back of the head, " And what the fuck are you wearing, you animal whore!"

" Huh?" Toad looked down at what he was wearing and instantly blushed, staring like a deer caught in headlights at Wally's shaking form, " Um... yo... I just woke up... an'... I hadn't... um.. changed from... my jammies... I'll be right ba-"

" NO!!! DON'T CHANGE!!!" Wally shouted, grabbing his wrist before he hopped back upstairs. Everyone gave him a strange look, " It's just... you look so cute... and it's so hard to get you... into anything but jeans..."

" You're a pervert, aren't you?" Pietro teased, laughing at him. Toad hit him in the shoulder and got hit upside the head again. Wally rushed over and steadied him as he swore loudly.

" Are you okay, sweetie?"

" Sweetie? Man, no way. _I_ use the pet names," Toad corrected, smiling wickedly up at him. Wally blinked, then beamed and presented the flowers, " What in the hell? Flowers? Fer me?"

" Um... yeah... don't you like flowers? I mean..." Wally shuffled his feet, causing the three on lookers to tilt their heads in unison, " You're a toad. Don't you like n-nature and stuff like that?"

" Well... yea'... I guess sos..." Toad looked at the purple flowers and his face turned red again, " Thanks, yo..."

" You're welcome! I got purple to match your eyes. Gold and purple are complimentary colors, you know. I learned that in art class once. So I hope you like them because I thought of you when I saw them. Do you have a vase? I can bring them in a vase next time, if that'd be better," he nervously spat out, grabbing Toad by the shoulders a little suddenly. Toad stared at him, blinking a couple times, " Am I babbling too much? I'm sorry. I must be confusing the hell out of you, right?"

" Kinda,"

" You're so soft spoken, Toad. It's so precious. I absolutely love it,"

" Soft spoken? Who the hell is he talking to?" Pietro whispered a bit loudly, snickering to his expressionless sister. Lance tried to hit him, but missed.

" Thanks yo, but I ain't... really... quiet or nothin',"

" That's cute. I love hearing you defend yourself like that. You're so innocent," Wally gave Toad a hug, nearly squishing the flowers, " So, I actually came here as a surprise date. So, let's go. My ca-"

" I CAN'T GO OUTSIDE LIKE THIS! I'MA IN MY UNDERWEAR!!!" Toad declared, voice getting slightly higher then normal and sounding so female it made everyone giggle. Wally only smiled and slipped an arm around his slender waist, " W-wait... hold on... wha' the hell? I can't- Wally are ya- here, Lance!" he shoved the flowers in the older one's hands before he was pulled out of the Boarding House.

The door shut.

" Well, that was about as weird as things ever are around here... I'm gonna find Fred... he's normal, sorta," Lance muttered, rubbing his temples and walking off with the flowers, " See you two later,"

" Bye-bye," Pietro called, waving childishly, " Let's go then, sis,"

" Whatever,"

The twins went outside and climbed into the Jeep, Wanda revving it to life. She hit the gas and they sped out of the neighborhood. Wanda focused her attention on the road as Pietro relaxed and enjoyed the feel of the wind as it ripped through his tied up locks. Neither said a word the entire trip to the shop, nor did they speak as they looped arms and stepped into the dim world of Wanda's favorite Gothic store. Both looked towards the register, but Adam wasn't there.

" What'd you wanna buy, Sis?" Pietro's voice drew Wanda's attention from the register and she gave him a startled look, " Awww, do you miss him?"

" I don't even know him! We've only talked three times, Pietro!"

" So? I go on dates quicker then that,"

" You're a player, that's why!"

" Well..." he looked thoughtful for a moment, " Now, I'm a slut!"

" Have you been going on dates?!" she demanded, jerking out of his grip. Pietro looked at a lost for words, " You have, haven't you?! Is that where you disappear to nowadays!? You're selling your body, aren't you! Even after you've turned into a woman!"

" I am not! And, for the record, I _never_ sold my body!" he barked back at her, his voice as equally evil, " I just sold my time,"

" I don't want to hear this," Wanda turned away. Before she could leave him, however, he grabbed her hand and spun her back towards her. A couple people glanced their way when he pushed her up against the wall, " Get y-"

" I have _never_ sold my body, dammit!!! Despite what you may have heard, I am still a virgin, Wanda. I have _never_ just given it up for a fucking rush. I not that addicted to adrenaline!" his voice was harsh and brought a flicker of emotion to the surface. Emotions Wanda was confused about.

" I... believe you... brother..."

" Then don't ever accuse me again," he released her, " Well... do you wanna go get like a coffee or something?"

" Pietro..." he turned to Wanda. This time, she slammed him up against the wall and leaned in close, her eyes livid with rage. The blond choked on air, " _If you ever lay a hand on me in that manner again, I will not hesitate to hurt you. Do you understand me, Pietro?" _she spoke into his ear so that none of the onlookers could hear a word. He swallowed slowly, nodding.

Wanda got off him, dusting herself off. As he righted himself, she calmly informed him that coffee sounded great and headed out the store. Feeling it better not to enrage her any farther, Pietro hurried after her, catching up in a heartbeat and looping arms once more.

They headed down the street, hooked a right, then found themselves outside a little coffee shop that they'd been stopping at for the past week. Inside they drifted, looking for seats . The duo hadn't gone two feet, though, before their names were called out and few boys began to make their way over. Pietro waved, Wanda did not. However, she didn't stop the four from coming over and asking them to join them.

" Is it okay if we do? For a minute?" her brother questioned, giving her hopeful eyes. Despite her own feelings, she nodded and allowed herself to be dragged over to a large booth in the back.

As Pietro engaged in conversation with them, Wanda looked them up and down like she always did since they'd met them almost a week ago. There was a heavy set brunette who always wore sports jerseys by the name of Alan. The slender African-American in the polo shirt simply went by Bob. Then there was the skinny blond with the loose T-shirts called Steven. All of these boys liked Pietro because he was beautiful and had a pearly white smile and flirted with everything. Wanda could live with that. She knew her brother had an ego like no other and he needed it to be fed after a couple hours of listening to Toad and Lance and Fred talk on the phone with close friends or significant others when he himself had no one to call. The kind of attention Alan, Bob, and Steven gave her twin was the same kind he'd always had at high school before he stopped going. It was normal.

But, that wasn't the case with Jason. He was a tall, well built dyed blond haired foot ball player who talked too much. Wanda got a bad vibe from him. His grey eyes freaked her out for some reason. Judging from the way Pietro shifted his weight whenever Jason got near him, she'd have to say even her dense brother didn't like that boy. Something about him was just wrong.

" What're you doin' later this week, pretty thing?" Alan cooed out, stroking Pietro's hand. He gave a playful smile. Wanda frowned, turning her head away.

" I've got a game with a... friend in a couple days. But," the blond paused, winking, " It's invitation only. Sorry," he gave a laugh, easing his hand away and putting it around the shoulders of his sister.

" Too bad. I'd love to see you play," Steven chirped, almost too innocently. The boys gave him a look, but he shrugged it off, " It... um... hard to find a girl who'll give it her all. But you're different then other girls, Victoria,"

" Boy is she," Wanda sneered under her breath. Pietro pinched her shoulder, " I'm going for some coffee. Do you want anything, _Victoria_?"

" Hahaha, no, I'm fine," he stuck out his tongue at her as Wanda got to her feet. She stalked off and Pietro turned back to the boys, " Don't mind her. She's just a little shy, is all,"

" Unlike you, _Vicky_," Jason breathed, gripping Pietro's hand and giving his lustful eyes. A shiver ran down the blond's spine, a brief image of his father flashing in his mind before being replaced with a simple fearful rush. There was just something off about that look that made the speedster want to run for the hills and never look about or stop. The feeling was too much.

" I... I'm gonna help Wanda," with that, he was gone. He slowed down when he was out of sight from the guys, then slumped up against the wall, clutching his heart, " Man, that asshole gives me the creeps... maybe lil ole Toady can tell me what he wants. He's good at sensing danger when it's right in front of him..." his voice drifted off as he saw his sister talking to a familiar looking Goth boy.

Perking up, Pietro headed over just in time to see Adam lean down and whisper something in the slightly blushing Wanda's ear. The boy placed a hand gently on her shoulder as he did. The witch's eyes stared at it as though it was the most precious gesture in the world and the speedster burned with both brotherly protectiveness and joy. Happily he figured out that Adam must've been asking her out on a date. As he got closer, he saw, however, that Wanda was shaking her head. As if on cue, he was suddenly standing next to the two.

" Well, hi there, Adam. Long time no see," he gave them his biggest smile, purposefully draping an arm around each and pulling them close. Wanda gave him dark eyes, Adam a nervous smile.

" Hi, Victoria,"

" What're you doin' over here with my sister?"

" He wanted to know if I was free on Saturday. I said no,"the witch hissed out, ducking out from his embrace. Pietro rolled his eyes, " I don't... what's with that face?"

" What if we made it a double date? You and Adam here and me with someone," he casually suggested, motioning to the three. Adam rapidly nodded his head, giving a weak smile to the woman in question. Wanda crossed her arms.

" And just who're you taking?"

" Hold on a moment," Pietro was gone in a second. Wanda shook her head. Adam just coughed a little and inched closer, acting as though he expected her to rip his arm off for thinking of getting closer to her. All she could do was sigh and let him act like such a boy and hope her brother didn't do something stupid, even though she knew he would.

At the table with the four boys, Pietro appeared and slammed his hands in front of them, causing them to jump. He scanned them with such quickness, none of them noticed as they welcomed him back and scooted over to make room. He didn't bother to sit. He knew what he needed from them and he knew whom to ask to make this all work. He needed a date so his sister could finally resume the life she'd been denied for so long. If she needed a double date to do that, he'd gladly give it to her. That's why his serious blue eyes zeroed in on the easily swayed Steven with his extra loose shirt and wide brown eyes.

" Steven, do you wanna be my date on Saturday?" he asked, smiling the wicked smile his family was known for. The boy choked, smacked his chest, blushed furiously, and nodded, " Awesome," with that, Pietro disappeared to tell his sister and Adam the good news.

Jason clutched his hands under the table, gritting his teeth angrily.

* * *

Side note- The name Victoria was just something I came up with. It's explained more in the next chapter.

That's all. Love, Sai-Chan.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- Sorry, again, for the wait, loves. The next chapter just needed a lot of tweaking here and there before I felt it was right. And then I got hit by writer's block and couldn't think of two sentences to string together to save my life.

I have done something in this chapter I promised my sister I wouldn't. And I'm sooo sorry but my 'ways' got into my head due to a song and I'm sorry, it happened and it won't go away. So, here it is. No flames allowed. I've warned you. Please enjoy and review. But no flames.

Enjoy. Lots of love, Sai-Chan (who runs before you start to read and hides in her closet with a tennis racket).

* * *

Lance sat and stared up at his ceiling aimlessly. The world of the Boarding House was quite, thanks to the sudden departure of the twins and Tolansky. However, that also meant there was nothing going on to keep his mind of the still-hadn't-called-yet Kitty and the always-on-his-mind Brit.

He couldn't believe that after everything they'd been through together, Kitty had dropped him that fast without so much as a blink. Yes, he'd promised himself he wouldn't fret over it any more but he really couldn't help it. He'd put so much effort into getting her to like him, so much damn effort. Then he'd been changed into a woman and bam, it was over. True, it was a lot to ask a heterosexual girl to date another female. But it wasn't like he'd be a female forever. As soon as that machine was fixed, he'd be normal. Where would that put the two of them?

On the other hand, Xavier had said the circumstances of his change had turned him into a lesbian. And who had he run into on his first day as such? A gorgeous, playful lesbian who thought he was something else. Sure, she didn't know the truth, but that wouldn't last very long. Toad had up and told Wally everything four minutes after they met and they were the very essence of a happy couple. Did that mean Lance wanted to be a happy couple with Brit instead? What would that mean when he was changed back into a boy?

" I need help," he moaned, flopping down on his mattress with a sigh of defeat. For the past week he'd been plagued with questions about the two and what would or wouldn't happen when he was changed back. He didn't know if he could take Kitty back and he wasn't positive if Brit would have him.

Twitching at his always terrible luck with relationships, he swung himself off the bed and left his dreary room to seek company with the only other person in the house: Fred. He found him in his own room, lifting weights and staring at the ceiling with conviction. At first, they were silent, acting as though the other wasn't there. Then Lance trooped in and sat down on the floor directly next to his teammate.

" What?" Fred grunted out, his voice still managing to be calm.

" Girl problems. About Kitty and Brit,"

" Go with Brit,"

" I haven't even told ya what the problem was!" Lance barked, slightly offended. Fred rolled his eyes, heaving the weights up with his toned arms and causing his chest to bounce against the sports bra.

" Well?"

" I don't know what to do when I change back,"

" Stay with Brit,"

" We're not even dating, dammit!!!" Lance's anger shook the ground slightly, his brown eyes pulling back into his sockets. Two thuds echoed before Fred grabbed his shirt and shook the earth tumbler out of the trance that had almost made it's way to his finger tips and into the floor.

" Don't wreck my room," Fred warned as Lance coughed, " And my advice is the same as any of the others. Go with Brit. Kitty was always a bad match for ya anyways,"

" Toad told me that too. Said it was best it ended so soon,"

" He's right,"

" What does that retard know about relationships?" Lance spat out. Although his tone was harsh, he couldn't hide the way his eyes darted to the left to avoid eye contact, " He's never had a girlfriend,"

" Picked up a nice boyfriend pretty fast, though, didn't he? For being a retard, and all," Fred reminded, dabbing his face with a cloth. Lance narrowed his eyes.

" When'd you get so smart?"

" Doesn't take half a brain to know you suck at love. We've been sayin' that forever,"

" All of you are assholes, that's what you are,"

" Why don't you give Kitty a call then?"

" Because... she... won't... answer... fuck you, Freddy," the tumbler jerked away, but made no move to leave his chosen spot. Fred, annoyance creeping up his spine, picked up the phone and dialed a number. Panic shook Lance and he whipped back around, his face contorted with fear, " DON'T CALL HER!!!!"

" I'm not," he answered as he handed the phone to Lance, " _You're_ calling Brit," the smile on his face was so wicked it would've made Mystique proud.

" Wha-" just as he uttered that, the phone clicked on and Brit's voice floated up, asking who was there, " Um... hey. It's me... Avalanche,"

" Avalanche! Hey, girl, how you been? What's up?" she sounded truly amazing, even over the phone, and Lance felt himself starting to melt. He muttered something about just wondering what she was up to, " I'm over at my cousin's. Jeff. He's a mechanic. Didn't you say you wanted to have someone take a look under your hood?"

" Uh, yeah," he was surprised she'd remembered such a little detail. Nevertheless, it was a nice change from Kitty's usual cold shoulder and one-sided mind set.

" Why don't you and Dukes come on by? She around?"

" Yeah," Lance felt a little bit of heat rise to his face, the kind he felt when jealous. Why did Brit want Fred to tag along? She was supposed to be interested in him, " I'll see if _she's_ available,"

" Don't say it like that, hot stuff. Jeff says he'd like to meet her. Something about her being his type," Brit's voice was playfully injured, as if sensing anger from the tumbler hurt her. That thought put a smile back on Lance's face.

" Sure, sure. We'll be right on over,"

" Those twins and that short chick around? I've been dying to meet those people. See if all the stories are true,"

" Just left, as a matter of fact. The twins went for coffee and Tolansky was snagged by her boyfriend. Why?" his voice went harsh once more, " You interested?"

" From what you've told me, they ain't my type,"

" Am I?"

" Why don't you tell me your first name, Alvers, and we'll find out,"

" Don't you like my nickname?"

" Avalanche is a little too mysterious for my taste, babe. But I'm looking forward to see that _rockin_ bod of yours. Dress sexy for me," Brit gave a little roar. Lance shuddered on instinct, Fred arched an eyebrow, " Here's the address," he wrote it on a spare sheet of paper, " See you soon,"

" Bye," Lance hung up the phone and grinned over at a smug looking Fred, " Wanna go meet someone who says you're his type?"

" Huh?"

* * *

Toad's face couldn't have been redder as he sat in the diner in front of Wally as said boyfriend ordered them sodas and a basket of fires 'to share'. He felt like everyone was staring at him because of his skimpy outfit. Never before in his entire life had he felt so revealed. He never left he house unless ninety percent of his skin was covered by clothing, yet there he was, in his pajamas in the middle of a restaurant because he had issues fighting Wally. He'd barely had time to snag his shoes on the porch so they would be served when they reached the place. Why he was being allowed to sit there when he looked like a whore was beyond him, but he was.

" Don't look so embarrassed, Toad. You have great legs," Wally assured him, grinning slyly. Toad's head slammed into the table as he groaned and mumbled inaudibly into the plastic, " Doesn't it hurt when you do that?"

" No, not really. My skin's kinda tough..." he said, looking up through his bangs at the redhead in front of him, " I don't feel pain the way others do,"

" Like how?"

" It doesn't really sting or nothin'. Kinda um... a sudden shock an' then a dull feelin' that fades fast... I don't get bruises often,"

" So... you have invulnerability?"

" I guess sos,"

" That's so cool!" Wally grasped his webbed hands as he said it, " What kinda things can you survive?"

" I fell of the roof an' wuzz fine. Stuff like that," Toad wasn't sure why, but he got an eerie feeling when he talked about it. In the back of his mind, a red flag shot up. His instincts sensed danger.

" You must be a great fighter and all," he was informed just as the food was dropped off. Toad shrugged, finally sitting up and casually drawing his hands away from the boy. Wally didn't seem to notice. He was far too busy munching on the fires, which made Toad gag a little, " You don't like?"

" No,"

" Do you really eat bugs?"

" Does that freak ya out or somethin'?" a tense feeling formed in the pit of Toad's stomach. Would this be the thing that finally turned the ever accepting, ever loving Wally against him? Would this be the final straw? Despite his previous apprehensive feelings, he knew he definitely didn't want this sweet boy to abandon him like everyone else did.

" No. I love everything about you, my lil toady," Wally reached forward and caressed the blushing Toad's cheek, the grin wolfish again.

Fear fluttered underneath the warm feeling inside Toad's body.

* * *

The Jeep came to a stop outside a suburban house on the outskirts of the city of Bayville. The mailbox read 'Cit', which Brit had informed Lance was her cousin's last name. Figuring they were in the right place, he pulled into the driveway behind a sports car with it's top down, which he assumed was Jeff's. They climbed out and strolled up to the front and rang the doorbell. Each were nervous about the people who were inside, both pulling at their unusually tight shirts.

" Hey there, babe," Brit cooed as she opened the door and swung her hip into Lance's stomach. He coughed but smiled at the lovely girl standing there, " Jeff's waiting inside Dukes. The living room,"

" Thanks," Fred saluted Lance sarcastically as he went inside. Brit shut the door behind him and leaned in close to the rock tumbler.

" You gonna tell me your real name, Avalanche?" her breath came out whispery and hot, like steam on a hot summer's day. Somewhat like that day, in fact. Lance backed up and she went with him.

" Guess,"

" You look you've got a strong name. Something strange, maybe," he shook his head as they moved backwards, suddenly holding hands, " American?" he nodded and they bumped into the sports car, " Sexual?"

" Not particularly,"

" You sure?" she spoke into his mouth as he took in a breath of her perfume. He tasted her. Vanilla and peppermint in one sensational candied breath, rolling along his tongue.

Lance and Brit kissed without chastity. There was nothing building to it. They grabbed the other's face and plunged their tongues inside, desperate to explore the other. Brit's hands wrapped around his long hair and gripped tight, forcing his head back. One of his hands rubbed her neck gently, the other found her lower back and shoved her body closer to his. Wetness formed between his legs as her curves squished against his own. Their breasts pushed together, allowing for one of Brit's legs to squeeze between his. Their tongues ran over the others' as their bodies melted into one, sweat and perfume of vanilla and peppermint as the heat.

They fell backwards and into the backseat of the sports car without ever breaking the embrace.

Inside, Fred nervously stepped into the living room. A well built man was standing there, looking foreign even though this was his house. Jeff Cit was a brunette with a kind smile and a snake tattoo on his upper left arm. His short hair slightly curled around his happy hazel eyes, which lit up when Fred introduced himself as simply 'Dukes'.

" Aw, the Dukes I've heard so much about. Hi, I'm Jeff," he strolled across the room and they shook hands awkwardly, " Please, have a seat. Want a beer? Soda, maybe. Brit said you'd just gotten out of high school. Eighteen?"

" Seventeen. And I'll just have water," he thickly said, not sure if this was how he supposed to feel. He was taken by the way Jeff looked and knew he was bound to like guys thanks to the transformation. Yet, he couldn't help but be nervous and curious.

" Here you are," Jeff had opened up a cooler and produced an icy bottle. Fred took it, " You're pretty, Dukes,"

" Um... thanks," he blushed, wishing he had something to tell him if everything was going okay.

" I don't know what my cousin told you, but I really am a nice guy," Jeff gave a laugh that made Fred's heart beat a bit faster. A smile crossed both their faces, " And I'm not old, either, if that's what she said. I'm only twenty two,"

" I'm just a little nervous,"

" That's okay. I understand. It's not like we have to date or anything. I just wanted to meet you, is all. Get to know you," he sounded shy when he said it, as though he hoped they could have some time to talk. Fred swallowed, but fought the urge to go searching for his leader.

" Yeah, okay, let's talk,"

* * *

Toad waited by the door as Wally went and paid for their meal. In all honesty, he was starving. He'd spent the whole time staring at his boyfriend as he ate those fires and had nothing to eat himself. He'd drowned himself in sugary soda, which made him feel a bit ill, but he couldn't deny that he was hungry. He hadn't eaten anything all day and that fact sort of bothered him. If there was one thing that drove him crazy, it was feeling hungry.

While he waited what seemed like an eternity, he scanned the doorway for anything with more then four legs. A spider was building it's web outside, a fat black one. Without really thinking about it, he left the diner and snatched it up. He put it in his mouth and bit down on it's crunchy outside, savoring the ooze as it filled his mouth.

" Wow. You really do eat bugs," came a voice directly behind him.

" Oh, shit!" he shrieked, spinning around and hitting whoever it was in the side. Wally bent double in a gasp, " Oh shit! Wally! I'ma sos sorry! Ya scared me! I didn't hear the door open!"

" S'okay..." he choked out, waving him off and standing up. The look on his face momentarily looked vicious, then was replaced by a hauntingly friendly smile, " You eat bugs for real, then? That's kinda cute,"

" Cute?" Toad questioned, tilting his head. Outside his control, his eyes flashed red in anger. Wally gaped, mouth wide open, " Wha'?"

" Your eyes! They changed colors just now! To red! Do it again!"

" Um... it's not really a... controlled gift... it justs happens, yo,"

" But why?"

" When... um... I'm... mad..."

Wally stared in disbelief, which slightly bothered Toad. Those blue eyes were just so wide and shocked. It wasn't the type of face he usually got, one that appeared to be hiding pain. Sensing this, Toad laughed a little. Nothing changed and a sinking feeling dragged the nervous laughter into nonexistence. He knew he'd blown it and felt a nearly hysterical urge to fix it.

" I ain't mad at chu, Wally!" he rushed to say, grabbing hold of his boyfriend's arms, " It just... kinda... bothers me that nothin' I do annoys ya. Iz weird an' that makes me mad cause I don't understand,"

" There's nothing to understand, Toad. I love you. I love you for who you are, inside and out," Wally assured him, pulling the webbed hands off him and squeezing tight. Toad glanced at the hands, " Am I hurting you?"

" No, I alrea-"

Wham.

Wally's hand flew across Toad's face with such force a sharp tinge of pain shot up the mutant's cheek. He stared at the terribly cruel blue eyes in that screwed up face, one hand lightly touching the swelling area on his face. His body was shaking, tears were in his eyes, but his voice was gone. Those eyes stole the fighter he was inside, whisked away the Todd Tolansky who would've screamed and knocked his head off for daring to touch him like that. Instead, tears rolled down his face and he quivered feebly, touching the spot that throbbed.

" Did that hurt?! Did it?!" Wally shouted down at him, clenching his fists at his sides. Toad felt his head move up and down, " Remember that the next time those eyes of yours turn red!!"

" I th-th-thought my eyes were l-lovely,"

Wally gave him the hardest stare in the world, his hands inching up to strike again. Toad gulped and cowered pitifully against the air, crouching down slightly on reaction. The hardness disappeared and was replaced by a smile warmer then the sun right as Wally gave him a tender hug. The mutant shook through the whole ordeal as his boyfriend stroked his hair and gave him the kind face with that coy smile like a predator's.

" They are," he whispered, placing a hand on either side of Toad's face. His thumb pushed into the bruise, causing fresh pain, " I love you,"

Toad whimpered, agony washing over him as Wally kissed him for the first time. Tears flowed down his cheeks, his arms hanging limply at his sides as his boyfriend's eyes closed and he forced his tongue inside. The kiss made Toad want to retch and he silently sobbed throughout the entire thing, feeling one of Wally's hands groping his ass. He'd never felt so violated and loved at the same time. He didn't know what to do and his head was fuzzy with warmth and fear.

All he did was stand there and cry to no one but himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt appeared in the lower parts of the Institute, outside the door that led to the lab he'd heard his buddy Forge was working in. So as not to scare him and cause him to break the machine, he knocked and waited to be let in. A minute or so passed, then the door clicked open and he stepped inside. The place was shiny and clean and seemingly unnatural to him, but he 'ported over to the table his friend was working at anyways. He was then standing next to him.

" How goes the experiments, Forge?" he questioned, trying his best not to sound interested. The other mutant sighed and leaned back, his arm going back to normal.

" No go," was his somber answer, " Something's missing. I don't know how to fix it. One of the parts was crushed in the accident and I can't find a replacement. It's been too long since it was made,"

" So... vhat are vou saying?"

" I'm not sure I'm ever gonna be able to change them back," as he said it, Forge poked the machine and got an electric shock, " See! It just hates me!"

" Maybe it needs a voman's touch," Kurt joked, lightly punching him in the arm. Forge gave a short laugh.

" Do you think I should tell them?"

" Vhat, are vou crazy?! Lance vould have your head!"

" That wouldn't solve anything, now would it?"

" Since vhen do the Brotherhood think ahead?" Kurt gave him a serious look that mocked him and everything he stood for. Forge punched him in the shoulder, getting to his feet and saying he wanted to check up on the Brotherhood boys anyway.

" Isn't that Quicksilver playing Evan today?"

" Sur-"

Kurt's voice was drowned out by an alarm blaring overhead. The lights turned red and beeping sounded, a female voice announcing that there was a security breech down the hall. In a flash, the two came barreling out of the lab, ready to defend against whoever was trying to steal the device or other weapons that were kept on this level. Someone was covering their ears, twisting around to see what they'd done, in the middle of the red lights as guns came out of the walls and aimed at them. A scream, very familiar, rang out as the person dodged the lasers with experience that one had to learn.

The person ran head on into Kurt, knocking him down and falling over him. They sprawled out at Forge's feet, the blue one moaning in agony and the other squeaking in horror as _she_ sat up. A wave of tan hair fell into her stunned gold eyes as she covered her ears again and shrieked in a Jersey slang voice for them to cut the alarm. Kurt vanished and hit the off button.

Everything went back to normal as Todd Tolanksy stood up and dusted off his tight string bikini top and tiny bike shorts. Kurt felt his heart leap to his throat whereas Forge tilted his head.

" Toad?! Vhat are vou doing here?!" Kurt demanded in a kind of weak voice. The mutant coughed a little, one hand rubbing his other arm.

" Uh... I um... wuzz... uh... haha... lookin' fer Forge, as a matter of fact," he mumbled, staring dead at the ground. A hair clip pinned back the left side of his hair so his red face could still be seen.

" Oh? Is something wrong?" Forge immediately asked, his hand unconsciously changing into a metal drill. Toad squeaked again and hid behind Kurt to avoid the man made horror that scared him so, " Oh, sorry. Um.. What did you need?" his hand returned to normal and the younger mutant slipped out from behind the frozen elf.

" I wuzz... wonderin'... if it wuzz ready yet..." he said, rocking on his heels. Kurt noticed the sneakers were brand new but didn't say anything about it.

" Um... no, not yet,"

" Vhy do vou ask, Toad? Aren't vou happy with _Wally_?" Kurt couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice, which drew the attention of Forge. He cleared his throat and tried again, " I mean, look at vou. Vou look like a girl vho's being taken care of nicely. He obviously bought vou those clothes. And is that a necklace? Gold? Vou must be all a flu-"

" Kurt!" Forge snapped, punching him in the arm. Kurt's voice cut, a sudden feeling of shame feeling his body. Toad stared at them with absolute horror in his eyes.

A purple bruise was fading on his face. Never in all the months that the X-Men and the Brotherhood had fought, had done so much damage to each other, had Kurt seen a bruise on the ever unhurtable Todd Tolansky. True, he couldn't remember a time when he'd checked the toad's body for injuries or actually hit him clear in the face, but that didn't matter. How had the mutant been injured if the two groups weren't fighting anymore? Surely, one of the Brotherhood hadn't hit him like that.

" Toad, vhy do vou have a bruise on vour face?" he asked, pointing without thinking. All at once, Toad looked like a deer caught in headlights, his hands flying up to cover his face, his legs bending slightly. He shook violently, his composure disappearing.

" Iz nothin'! Don't worry 'bout it! I'm just stupid an' clumsy an' I fell off the roof like an' idiot, okay? I gotta go, 'kay?" with that, Toad turned and bolted from the scene before the other two could say anything to stop him.

" What'd you make of that?" Forge questioned, scratching the back of his neck. Kurt glared at the spot Toad had been standing at.

" Vhatever it is, it's not like Toad. He doesn't dress like that and he certainly doesn't act like that. Something's vrong. Very vrong,"

Kurt disappeared without another word. When he appeared again, he was standing in the bleachers next to Jean and Scott. They were arguing softly about whether or not they should go in and find out why the alarm was going off. He muttered something about a lost Brethren, then set off to find Toad in the crowd of mutants who'd gathered to watch Spyke and Quicksilver play one-on-one basketball, no powers allowed.

He could spy Fred and Lance near the front, screaming jeers and cheers in baggy pants and matching shirts that read 'Brotherhood Rulez' over their bouncing chests. Wanda was in the shade of a tree with Rogue, both of whom were pouring over a note the witch was holding. Tabby and the other new mutants made up most of the rest of the crowd, all cheering on Evan, but failing miserably to drown out the yells of the overly loud Brethren. The adults were off to one side, playing referee, although it seemed that Storm had vanished to go check on the alarm. Down in one corner of the bleachers was the redhead Kurt knew had to be Wally, as he was the only outsider around; Amanda was out of town and couldn't attend.

Just as the elf was about to head down and give that human a piece of his mind, a hand reached out and grasped his shoulder. He spun around, half expecting to see Toad standing there, begging him not to, for some reason. Instead, he found himself facing Kitty.

Over the two weeks since the Brotherhood had changed into girls, she'd morphed from the happy-go-lucky girl she had been to someone who looked on the verge of death. She was miserable and guilty and it showed in the sour expression and bags under her eyes. She just couldn't believe she'd dropped Lance again, but what was more were all the rumors from the talkative Pietro that the rock tumbler had found a rather close lesbian friend by the name of Brit. As much as Kitty couldn't take being lesbian with her former lover boy, she couldn't handle the fact that he'd replaced her even more. She couldn't deal with it and Kurt really didn't want to have to hear what she was going to say now that she could see for herself that Lance was cheerful and full of energy.

" Kurt, could you go see if... I dunno, like, Lance is just acting or something?" she begged, gripping his shoulder a little too tightly for his taste. He swallowed hard, not sure what the best course of action would be.

" Um, sure, Kitty, sure," she perked up a tiny bit as he 'ported away and appeared down at the bottom. There he saw Lance and Fred jump to their feet as their teammate scored another couple points. From what he could tell, the 'boy' in question was definitely not acting. If he was, he deserved an Oscar, because he sure looked smug and joyful hugging Fred and shouting up to Scott that he'd owe him money after this.

Sadly, Kurt shook his head up at Kitty. She looked crestfallen as she sank to her seat as everyone else stood up. Kurt turned as Pietro snatched up the basketball and marched over to where Evan was idling standing near the hoop.

" WHY DIDN'T YOU BLOCK THAT SHOT, DANIELS!!! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU TODAY!!!" Pietro roared, slamming the ball into Evan's shoulder. The crowd went deathly silent, all hands dropping to their sides and all eyes on the two. Apparently, none of them had noticed Evan hadn't been playing to his fullest.

" What'd you talkin' about, dude? What's wrong with m-me? What's up with you? You take something this morning? You're playing awesome," Evan answered, rubbing his shoulder.

" Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, asshole," the speedster closed the gap between the two. Even as a girl, he towered over the short Evan, " Why aren't you trying to win this game? Why're you takin' it easy on me? I ain't injured. You promised this'd be a fair game,"

" I uh hurt my foot yesterday. I didn't think you notice,"

" Bullshit. You've been runnin' fine. What is it?"

" Dude, back up. Way too close," Evan took a step backwards and Pietro took two, so that there wasn't an inch between the two. Kurt couldn't imagine what it must of been like standing that close to a pissed off Maximoff.

" Answer me,"

" Dude, I just sick. Can't you just accept that you're winning?"

" No," Pietro shoved Evan backwards and the mutant hit the pole holding the hoop. The blond hovered in front of him, peering down at him with eyes so livid, the audience could see the glint, " I'm better then you. I've always been better then you. This game was supposed to prove that. I'm not walkin' away from here with people sayin' I only won because you weren't playin' your best. Now WHY AREN'T YOU PLAYING ME MAN TO MAN, AT YOUR BEST!!! ANSWER NOW OR SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL K-"

" It's because you're a girl, okay, Maximoff!" Evan spat out, like he took what the blond had been threatening to heart. The air went deathly quiet, all the females growing tense, " I can't play you when you're a girl!"

Pietro looked like he'd been hit in the gut. His eyes couldn't have been wider if he'd tried. His body was stiff, his hands clenched into fists. A shudder went up his body, so violent everyone around could see it. Evan fumbled as he backed up, spikes coming out to defend against an attack.

A flash went over Evan, blood suddenly splattering into the air and on the court. The flashes turned red as screams of Hebrew, Polish, and English rang out incoherently. People ran out onto the court, shouting and using powers to break the two up. Jean jerked Pietro away, but he desperately fought her, his legs blurs as he struggled to close the few feet between the two. Blood poured down from the countless gashes on both of the blond's arms, running in streams down his elbows and onto his shirt and shorts and the ground.

Lance and Fred grabbed hold of Pietro and lifted him off his feet as he shouted and made snatches at the air to get to the stunned Evan. Wanda rushed over, yelling for her brother to calm down and relax so Storm could take a look at his wounds. He ignored her and kept at it until she smacked him across the face and got his attention. Then he noticed the searing pain in his arms and began to sob and shriek for medical attention as his sister hugged him.

Storm hurried over, leaving the side of her nephew as he was swarmed by the X-Men, who checked him for bruises. Pietro cried to her as the blood flowed out his shaking arms faster and faster now that he'd realized he was hurt. Wanda tried to calm him, saying his rapid heart beat was causing the liquid to rush out.

" Storm?" Kurt heard himself say as he jerked away from where Evan was trying to explain that he hadn't meant to do so much damage and he hadn't meant he was sexist, that the blond had jumped to conclusions. The elf didn't hear his protests. He searched the crowd for Toad, knowing that if Storm was back, he had to have made his way out of the Institute.

Toad was trying to get over to where Pietro was going hysterical. Wally held onto his arm, above the cuff, and jerked him backwards. Toad slipped and fell, but his boyfriend caught him and cradled him protectively, his mouth moving but his words too low for Kurt to hear. The mutant let him hug him, although Kurt noticed that Toad's own arms were limp at his sides and didn't even attempt to hug back. In a moment, Wally had his arm around the mutant's tiny waist and called out to Lance that he was taking his love inside because the heat was getting to him. Then Wally basically dragged Toad inside and away from the mania that surrounded court.

Kurt felt heat rise up to his face as he watched Toad being pulled off like that. Something was going on and he knew he had to find out what it was.

Behind him, Pietro pasted out into the arms of Fred, the blood loss finally getting to him. Wanda let out a cry as her brother was lowered to the ground and Rogue called 911 and exclaimed that someone was dying at the Institute. Kurt stared as Storm tore her shirt and wrapped up the vicious gashes littering the mutant's arms before he was carried off to the front entrance. From the house, Toad came running out, blood coming from his wrist, and Wally glaring at him as he darted after the other Brethren taking his friend to the hospital.

A hand grabbed Kurt's wrist and he turned around to see Evan's tear stained face.

" I didn't do it on purpose!! She's just too pretty to play! Dammit! She's too pretty to play! I couldn't concentrate! She's too pretty!!" he wailed out, shaking Kurt hard as the elf looked back at the chaos that went with the Brotherhood.

All Kurt saw in that crowd was Toad look back with his fearful eyes. And all he found he could feel with an almost overwhelming urge to kill the red head who stood in the doorway watching.

* * *

A/N- By the way, the reason Rogue said someone was dying is that one way to commit suicide it slitting up the forearms. Gashes like the ones Pietro substained would bleed quickly and with his fast heart beat, even faster. It's a way of causing death by blood lost. His panic also sent him into shock, which causes the body's temperature to drop and can cause death.

That's all. Sai-Chan.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N– Just noticed I never said where Pietro picked up the code name Victoria. Well, to put it simply, he decided on that because he thought it sounded nice with Wanda. Wanda and Victoria Maximoff. Enh. He's always been a bit of a character, no pun intended.

By the way, the reason Lance and Fred hadn't come up with cute girlie names like their speedy counterpart is that neither of them feel right lying like that to their good friend Brit or, now, Jeff.

In Toad's case, he doesn't think things through and merely told Wally everything.

As a side note: This one turned out shorter then I'd have liked, but whatever.

That's all. Enjoy. Love, Sai-Chan.

* * *

The day had finally come when the twins were sitting in a diner with their dates, Adam and Steven, respectively. Pietro glowered down at the table, his arms bandaged up tight but hidden beneath the sleeves of his blood red loose shirt. Steven had seemed concerned that his beloved Vicky didn't want to loop arms. However, he dropped his protests upon seeing those narrowed, dangerous blue eyes leering in his direction. He'd simply settled for helping the blond into his chair and clamming up nicely. Pietro continued to glance venomously in the boy's direction, as though it was him who'd had the spikes that'd torn up his formerly flawless skin. The once pearly perfection, as the doctor said, would forever be littered with gruesome scars once they healed. As for now, the skin was held together with plenty of stitches and bandages under the sleeves of his shirt.

" Do you want me to b-butter your b-bread, Vicky?" Steven's voice came out as a small whisper, his eyes scared. Pietro looked at him as a snake would it's prey, saying nothing close to a yes or a no. He barred his teeth in warning, before whipping away and glaring out the window.

" _Victoria_, stop acting like a child. You're the one who asked Steven here," Wanda reminded him, her own voice holding a touch of the infamous Maximoff bite.

" Fine, dammit. _Yes_, I would like you to butter my damned bread," he spat out, slamming his palms down on the table. The humans jumped. The twins merely locked eyes and stared each other down. Pietro looked away first, causing a smile to creep across Wanda's red lips, " Thank you, Steven, for buttering my bread. I _greatly_ appreciate it,"

" You're welcome!" he rushed to say, nearly dropping the plate. Pietro caught it in a split second, " It's so cool that you can do that, Vicky,"

" Yeah, yeah, I'm amazing and awe inspiring. Can we order some _food_ now?" he cut Steven off, leaning around him and waving his hand at the waitress. Steven weakly smiled, his face burning red.

" Your sister is... quite... um..." Adam found himself a lack for words as he watched the blond dictate the ordering. Wanda grinned a little behind her menu, " Bossy, I guess. Is she always like this?"

" Yes,"

" Are you?"

" Yes,"

" A woman of few words. I find that mysterious and intriguing," he cooed into her ear as he leaned close. Her blush matched her scarlet outfit and Adam couldn't keep the pleasure out of his pale face at the sight of it. He moved a bit closer, trying to make eye contact with her fleeting nervous gems.

" Hey! Love birds! Pay attention! Order or I'll do it for you!" Pietro snatched their menus away and unsheathed them from their privacy.

" You're not making this easy, Victoria, I must say," Adam sighed out, rubbing his forehead as he sank down in his chair. Pietro flashed his teeth in a mocking manner.

" We'll both have the grilled chicken salad. Dressing on the side," Wanda told the waitress. The order was written and soon the four were on their own once again, " Do you have to act like a brat, Victoria?"

" Yeah. And?"

" Grow up,"

" Adam, why don't you and Steven go and pick a song on the juke box for us ladies? I have something I need to ask my dear sister," Pietro's voice was so poison filled, the boys immediately got up and bolted from the table, " Wanda, I don't think I can do this. I just... I feel so annoyed and I can't keep my temper under control,"

" I wouldn't of guessed,"

" Look, what I'm saying is... I think I'm just going to get the food and ask Steven to take me home. I can't... my head hurts," he sank down, forehead on his arms on the table. Wanda petted his hair, more concerned then she'd ever figured possible.

" Does it bother you so much that Daniels was being sexist towards you?"

" I've never been told 'no' in such a fucking rude way! I'm not used to it! And then for Lance to forbid me from going back and kicking his ass! Oh, it makes my blood boil," he smacked the table once again, for good measure. She frowned at his manners, " I just wish I could... could... fucking slit his throat or something. Just... just... _beat_ him at something! Anything!! Fair and square!! Dammit!!"

" So this just has to do with beating that boy?"

" What else would it be?"

" Why is it so important, Pietro?"

" Because I have to be perfect or it's not good enough," he answered without thought. There was a pause, " For him,"

" I think you're a perfectionist and you should seek help," the witch's voice lowered, her hands reaching over and stroking her brother's. He stared at her in absolute shock, perhaps even horror, " Your obsession with perfection is going to come crashing down on you one day, Pietro, and when it does, I don't think you'll do anything to stop it. I'm afraid... you'll let it happen and it'll drag you down with it... you don't do well in stressful situations. You just... run away and keep going until you can't go any farther and then everything's too far go-"

" Stop. I'm not like that," he broke in, although his words shook and his body had gone stiff. Wanda raised somber eyes to meet his.

" You're standards are too high. You're going to break yourself trying to reach them. That's what I'm afraid of," she patted his hand, letting go and cowering in her chair. Pietro continued to watch her closely until the boys came back and a happy 80s song started up.

" There you go. How does that help your mood, Vicky?" Adam clapped Pietro on the shoulder when he said it. Both twins looked at the boys, breaking into equally fake smiles and compliments that bounced of the unnoticing boys skin

" Much better. Thanks," he chirped, laughing so innocently that Steven turned the shade of a cherry, " Now," he rubbed his hands together in an almost normal fashion, " When's that food gonna get here? I'm starving,"

" Oh, dear... sister, you never change," Wanda exclaimed, covering her face.

* * *

Lance gazed at all the baby pictures on the walls, of nieces and nephews of Brit Simmons. They were all so adorable that he found himself grinning and wishing he had a sister who had babies for him to spoil. When he heard the clicking of glasses, though, he was brought back to reality. There were only pictures hanging on the walls of the foyer in a large house he'd never stepped foot in before that very moment, all of children he didn't know and probably never would. Seeing that truth, he left the hallway and peered into the living room where the owner of the house was pouring two glasses of wine.

The house was Brit's. As it turned out, she'd inherited the place when her parents up and died. Instead of selling it like she'd been told to by so many family members, she hung on to it and warped it into a modern rocker type place that not only suited her, but Lance as well. That made him feel at home, and he liked that feeling when in the company of this particular woman.

" You coming over here, Avalanche? Or you gonna stand over there in your I'm-so-too-cool-for-you baggy jeans and that killer Fuck-You T-Shirt and look cute?" she teased, laughing at his expense. He sneered at her, strolling over as slowly as humanly possible.

" I borrowed the shirt from my friend. She never wears it," he answered, tugging on the end of the extra tight, modified shirt with 'Misguided Youth' printed over his chest. Brit arched an eyebrow, " Toad. She said the shirt was too big,"

" That puny thing? _Never,_"

" Don't make fun. She ain't skinny by choice," he shrugged as he said it, taking a seat next to her on the plush cream colored couch, " Besides, it looks good on me,"

" Are you dating Ms. Toad?"

" Fuck no," he declared a bit too fast. Brit gave him another look, " She's just a friend... and a roommate. She... she's sensitive and I defend her on default. I wouldn't date her, though, so don't worry. She's not even gay,"

" Who's worried?"

" Well, I was kinda hoping _you_ were," he inched closer, running a finger over her bare thigh, shown off so nicely in her jean shorts. Brit puckered her lips seductively. The mutant felt himself being drawn in like a moth to flame, feeling those lips on his all over again. Feeling that curvy body against his, melting into his frame, surrounded by the smell and taste of vanilla and peppermint. He took in a shallow breath.

Vanilla and peppermint.

Brit gently kissed his lips, her hands touching his loose hair. He kissed back, rougher and forcing her mouth open. Their tongues danced over the other's, their hands racing up and down the body before them. He arched her back, her breasts squished against his and then they were stretched out on the couch as they had been the back seat of the car. She wrapped her legs around his waist, causing his shirt to ride up. Lance didn't pull it down. He just caressed her cheek with one hand, the other firmly pressed to her hip. Her nails lightly ran over his arms, a gasp coming out as he bit her lower lip and pulled.

One of her hands slipped under his shirt and found his silk bra, the one he'd worn just for her. She squeezed the soft flesh of the breast, moving the bra up. He moaned into her mouth, utterly lost in the warmth of her body and the pressure of her hand on him. One of his hands found the one on him and pushed it down even harder. Nails dug in and he gasped. She kissed him harder and harder as she squeezed and squeezed, drawing sounds from him he hadn't thought were possible. It was almost overwhelming and made him cry out in ecstacy.

The motions made him lightheaded and out of breath and he couldn't get enough. He'd heard about this feeling from the mouth of the ever pleasure seeking Quicksilver and the always head over heels Toad and the passion struck Blob. But never, never, had he felt as he did as he melted with Brit. The earth was moving around them, the sky was on fire, the air was growing thin. And the near death feeling in his heart was so desirable, he'd kill for it to continue. There was nothing that could've torn him away from the girl who was gasping and breathing just below him, her back bending her curves against his own.

Lance finally had the love of his life in his arms. He finally had what he'd always wanted. And there was no way he was giving it up. He'd keep this passion in him, this woman with him, for the rest of his life. He swore it as he cried out as Brit snuck her teeth into his collar bone and his body shook as violently as an earthquake.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- I apologize for the wait. This chapter just never sounded right.

Enjoy. Love, Sai-Chan

* * *

Kurt waited just outside the Institute gates, looking left and right. His cell phone was in one hand, a frown prominent on his pale face. Time ticked by, then he saw a car driving up, coming from the direction of the Boarding House. It pulled up alongside him. The car was not the Jeep. Rather, it was a slick blue sports car, the top rolled down. He frowned even deeper as the passenger climbed out and shared a kiss with the driver. In a moment, the engine roared and the car drove off.

" Vhy'd _Wally_ drop vou off?" he sneered, disappearing and reappearing next to Toad. He waved away the smoke.

" He wuzz over when chu called. What do ya care, Elf Boi?" he answered, adjusting the T-shirt that hung near his knees. Kurt grunted, grabbed his wrist, and the two vanished in a puff of smoke.

When they appeared, they were standing in the middle of the X-Man's bedroom. Toad jerked out of his grip, snapping that he had no right to touch him like that. Kurt said nothing. He merely snatched up the toad's wrists and held tight above the cuffs. He barely heard the swear words being shouted as he examined his rival's small frame. It proved quite difficult, for all the thrashing. As he opened his mouth to tell him to stop, a knee slammed into his stomach and his feet went several inches off the ground, the wind rushing out of his lungs. Pain erupted at his middle.

" I SAID GET YER HANDS OFFA ME!!!!" Toad screamed, kneeing him again. The three fingered hands released him as the mutant fell to the ground in agony, " An' don't chu _ever_ pull that shit again!"

" Ow..."

" Serves ya right,"

" D-Do vou hit Wally vhen he hits vou too?" Kurt's voice came out in a gaspy sort of whisper, his black eyes looking up through his bangs.

Toad stood over him, body suddenly stiff. Those golden eyes were wide, horrified. The only other time Kurt had seen him look so terrified was when he'd mentioned the bruise that had been on his cheek so many days ago. There was no mark there now, but there were fading ones on his arms. However, in the moments that it took the older mutant to regain his composure, the bruises weren't what caught the younger's attention. It was the light purple eye shadow and lipstick that graced the other's stunned face. It was noticeable only because the one wearing it never took that much of an interest in their appearance, least of all to start applying makeup.

" Toad... vhy are vou vearing makeup?" Kurt stood up slowly as he said it, reaching out and motioning to his face. Those words bought the other back to life, and his webbed hands flew up to his face. They hesitated, then dropped back to his sides, " Do... did he...are vou vearing that to cover up black eyes?"

" No!" Toad answered a little too quickly. Kurt moved closer, " W-Wally just said he'd like ta see me look a lil feminine an' everythin', is all!"

" Do vou do everything Wally says?"

" No,"

" Vell, I don't like the makeup. Take it off,"

" I don't hafta listen to ya!" he hissed, crossing his arms under his chest. Seeing that doing that showed the marks, however, he dropped them and folded them behind him instead. Kurt watched all this and got an expression close to disgust on his face, " Wuzz wit the look, huh, Nightcreeper?"

" Vou've changed so much,"

" Well, ain't that fer the better? No one liked me bafore," the way Toad said that, it sounded like ice. Kurt couldn't help but flinch.

" It vasn't for the better, Toad,"

" Couldn't a been fer the worse, though, could it?"

" Trust me, it vas. You've got bruises all over vou and I don't think you've ever sounded so bitter," one of Kurt's hands brushed Toad's shoulder. The toad recoiled at the touch, his eyes filled with an emotion foreign to the elf. Whatever it was, it wasn't a pleasant one and that made a twang of anger rush through Kurt, " I know he hit y-"

" Ya don't know anythin'! Wally loves me!" he yelled back, hugging himself and forgetting that revealed the marks, " He loves me fer me an' he says he always will! That's more then I've ever gotten from anyone bafore!"

" And that's enough to give up your happiness?!"

" I AM HAPPY, DAMMIT!!!"

" Then vhy are vou crying?"

At those words, Toad did a double take. Tears were starting to run down his cheeks, making his makeup run in purple streaks that hauntingly looked like scars. He hurriedly wiped the smears away, beginning to shake. Kurt bit his lower lip, the words he'd wanted to say evaporating in a wave of sorrow over this scared female in front of him. Desperation poured over him, but when he went to take hold of the mutant, he ducked away. Toad's hands shook as they clasped together in front of his chest and his eyes filled up with new tears. He started to cry, his legs bending slightly as though he longed to pull them to his chest and sob. Kurt froze, seeing that face and knew it would stay with him for the rest of his days as words were spoken.

" Please, Kurt, just leave it alone. Ya have no idea what I've been through. Ya have no idea h-how h-h-happy Wally makes me. Just... Just walk away now a-and lemme decide this fer myself," Toad begged in the voice of someone else. There was something in that voice that made Kurt want to start crying himself, to hold him. Instead, Kurt shook his head.

" I can't... it's not right..."

" P-please..."

" But... he's hurting vou..."

" I'm beggin' you, Kurt,"

Before Kurt could respond, Kitty suddenly burst through the door. A millisecond pasted where it looked as if she'd phase herself back out upon witnessing the scene before her. That didn't happen. She turned away from her fellow X-Man as he protested her interruption and went to grab Toad's hands. The mutant backed up and she was left gripping the air. She didn't appear to have noticed.

" Toad! Of thank Gawd I could find a Brethren!" she exclaimed, her eyes livid with what could only be called desperation, " I have to know! Is Lance really seeing another woman?"

" Yea',"

" He is?" she looked crestfallen, her hands gripping the air so tight it looked painful, " D-does that mean there's no hope for me anymore?"

" Yea',"

" WHAT!!" Kitty cried, going to grab him again. Toad avoided her embrace, narrowing his eyes, " He can't of!! He didn't give up on us! He can't!! I accept him! Oh won't you please tell him that! Please, Toad! I beg of you!"

" Kitty, this is not the time or place. I invited him here!" Kurt retorted, his tail curling out from his waist. He meant for it to restrain Toad from moving, but he found that Kitty's intervention had forced the female out of his grasp, " Now ve vere talking and vou'll just have to g-"

" No! Toad, please promise me yo-"

" ENOUGH!!!" came a Southern voice right before the door was thrown open. All three mutants jumped as Rogue came storming in, " Kitty, Ah've had enough of ya whinin' an' complainin' about that boy! Ya'll the one who said ya couldn't be with him! Now, ya'll have to live without him!! Get outta Kurt's bedroom!!"

" Rogue, I have to talk to To-"

" Ya don't have to talk to no one! Ah'm takin' you to see the Professor! Maybe he can rid ya of this stupid idears!!" she barked, her gloved hands wrapping around Kitty's upper arms. In her panic and hysteria, she forgot she could phase and merely ended up trying not to be moved as she was dragged from the room, sobbing about having to talk to Toad about Lance.

Kurt watched them leave, then turned to continue his talk. But the room was empty. Toad had already vanished.

* * *

Out in Bayville suburbia, Fred knocked on the blue door of a house he'd been to a few times before in the last couple of days. The mailbox out front read 'Cit', as it was Jeff's house. Although it made him nervous that the man inside was interested in him, he enjoyed his company and had found himself requesting that Lance drop him off at the house on his way out to Brit's. Now he was knocking and wondering whether coming without an invitation was such a good idea. After all, he'd only seen Jeff when he'd been asked over for soda or a game of ping pong. He prayed it was acceptable.

The door was pulled open by the brunette, who grinned like mad when he saw whom had paid him a visit.

" Dukes! Well, hey there! I wasn't expecting you!" he declared as he ushered him inside and shut the door. Fred smiled in spite of himself, " I've got a friend over, but she shouldn't bother us,"

" Uh, she?"

" Yeah, Janice. I work with her. She's a royal bitch, but good with a wrench," he shrugged, motioning for him to have a seat on the couch like he always did, " But don't worry. She's on the phone with her brother, Billy, and they'll probably be fighting all night long,"

" Oh. Is it okay for me to be here?"

" Hey, I'm not complaining. I could always do with some good company," Jeff winked and cracked open two cans of root beer. He got a seductive look on his face as he held out the drink, " Glass or can?"

" Um... can is fine,"

" So quiet. Why? Is something the matter? Something happen at the home?" his voice was overcome with worry, which caused a tiny smile to form on the mutant's lips.

Although the two had only known each other for a few days, they'd shared most of their lives through tales and basic reenacting of certain moments. Fred had held a few things back, such as him really being a boy and him being a mutant, but had expressed the other realties of his life: he was an orphan, he was poor, he lived in a home with several others to pay rent, and he hated it when people laughed at him. Likewise, the human had confessed to him that he was afraid of heights, his father had walked out on his mother, he hadn't gone to college, and he'd been in a couple wrecks before. These talks had not only brought them closer fairly quickly, but allowed them to feel like they'd known each other even longer then they actually had. Even if Fred felt a nagging pang of guilt for keeping many of his most imitate realties to himself. However, those talks had informed Jeff about life at the Boarding House, for the most part, and led him to worry about whether or not things were going okay at the unconventional home.

" Naw... not really. Toad's been actin' seriously weird, but nothin' new. She's a psycho... just a bit nervous," he gave a hearty laugh.

" But why?"

" Um... that girl yous got over,"

" Who? Janice? She's nothing to worry about... you don't think I'm interested in her, do you?" Jeff got a fleeting look of curiosity, followed by a grin, " She's totally not my type. She's a twig and she talks waaay too much, even for a girl... Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask. How'd you get so butch? Brit's pretty vague on the details,"

" Butch?" Fred looked as confused as he sounded.

" Like a guy. I mean, you live with a bunch of chicks. You'd think, I dunno, you'd all be a lot more feminine then you are," he shrugged, " I mean, I can understand that Alvers. She's gay... You're not gay, right?"

" No. Just... had a hard live... Y'know... made me... uh... tough,"

" I like that in a woman,"

" Really?" Fred couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful. Sure, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to get involved with someone he was lying to. Still, it was quite a change to hear someone talk to him in that manner. Dare he think it? He felt _needed_ and _wanted_.

And the feeling was good.

" Yeah. I dated all those girly types in high school. Talk about drama queens. Naw, I'm looking for someone like you, Dukes. Someone quieter, tougher, rougher. It's a turn on, I have to say," Jeff leaned in closer. Their arms brushed and both blushed innocently, " But I don't want to push you into anything if you're not ready... it's great just talking like we have been,"

" I feel like I know you, Jeff,"

" Me too. It's comforting, being this close to someone,"

" Yeah..."

" You must feel like this a lot... living with so many people..." he gave a chuckle, running a hand through his locks. Fred nonchalantly shrugged, enjoying toying with Jeff.

" Not really. Mostly with you,"

" Surely you jest,"

" Uh, not really," he cast a glance over at the brunette as he took a careful sip of soda. Jeff looked like he was in bliss, grinning goofy like and snickering to himself. For once, though, Fred didn't think he was being laughed at. He felt like he was laughing too, and realized he was on the good end of an inside joke; though the joke remained a mystery.

Jeff gently kissed Fred on the lips. They both hesitated, not sure if the other approved, then pushed a bit harder. The kiss was chaste but passionate and Fred's eyelids closed without him having to dictate the movement. One of Jeff's hands stroked his jaw tenderly, although he didn't try to force his tongue in or push too rough. Their lips grazed the others and it lighted heat inside Fred hotter then fire. He smiled into the kiss.

" Am I interrupting anything of importance, Jeffy Boy? Who's the girl?" came a catty voice, breaking the moment between the two. Fred's hands clenched into fists as he turned to glare at the skinny female standing in the doorway. Her clearly dyed blond hair was piled up on her head and her tiny breasts were nearly shown for all to see in her tight tank top. She puckered cherry red lips.

" Bad timing, Janice..." Jeff growled, drawing away from Fred reluctantly. She faked a smile, " Dukes, this is Janice. Janice, this is Dukes. Weren't you talking to your brother?"

" He hung up on me. So you're the girl with the right shit?" she asked, strolling over and dropping down on top of the coffee table, directly in front of them. Fred nodded, " Weird haircut,"

" _Janice_,"

" I like it," Fred curtly responded, cracking his knuckles. A thin eyebrow arched, " Do you mind? I was talkin' to Jeff,"

" Yeah, about that, I need to talk to my boss about my hours tomorrow,"

" Dukes, please excuse us for a moment," Jeff grabbed Janice by the forearm and jerked her out of the room. She waved coyly as the two disappeared around the corner. There was something about the wave that made Fred grit his teeth and want to knock her pearly whites to the ground.

Fred sat patiently, finishing off the rest of his soda, waiting for Jeff to return from the clutches of that woman. He got the distinct impression that Janice liked Jeff and wanted him to herself, even though he didn't have a reason to think that. It may have just been jealousy or lack of self confidence, but he truly believed she'd snagged him to put the moves on him and convince him to leave with her. That thought alone made him grip the can so hard it bent. Thankfully, it was already empty and merely got crushed in his hands.

While he glanced down at the can, Janice came barreling out of the hallway. She didn't stop to look back. She just flew out the front door and it slammed shut before Fred could figure out if she was mad or just in a hurry. In a moment, just as Jeff was stepping into the room, an engine roared to life and the squealing of tires echoed in the nighttime air. She departed, clearly. That was when the human sank down onto the couch next to the mutant, sighing and rubbing his temples, muttering something about 'that crazy bitch'.

" You get in a fight?" Fred tried to keep the sarcasm from his voice and succeeded in failing miserably. Jeff snorted.

" She wanted more time off to go on a date with some guy who's car we fixed down at the shop. I gave her hell and off she went like a child," he answered, heaving himself back up, " She's always doing shit like that. Fucking annoying, to tell the truth,"

" Bet she doesn't have a hard time getting a date. With a body like that,"

" Yeah," Jeff muttered, sipping from his can.

A wave of pain flooded into Fred's heart. Yeah? Did that mean Jeff liked the kind of skinny body that Janice possessed? He liked those small, dainty types after all? A dreadful feeling filled up the mutant's stomach. He recalled the department stores from his first days as a female. That store, more then likely the type of store Janice shopped at, hadn't carried his size at all. That shame and embarrassed caused Fred to stare down at the table, fighting tears that weren't there but probably should of been. The idea that this boy, with whom he'd shared such a connection, liked that woman's type was heartbreaking on a million different levels in a trillion different ways. He wasn't sure if he should get angry, sad, cry, blush, or march out of there like she had and just be rid of him.

He didn't get a chance to do any of the above. At that moment, Jeff tilted Fred's head back up, a finger under his chin.

" Y'know, if you _like_ those twiggy types," he cooed, a smile forming playfully. The mutant smiled back, despite how he'd previously felt, taking Jeff's hand in his, " Dukes... I know this is probably too sudden and all..."

" Yeah?"

" But... would you mind being my girlfriend?" he lowered his voice unnecessarily.

Fred swallowed, having never been asked something so personal, so loving in his life. He'd wanted to date Jean at one point, but it hadn't felt nearly as passionate as this moment. There was no reason to even think about, though he considered saying no just because he wasn't being completely honest with Jeff. On the other hand, he knew that would all come out in time, when he could be one hundred percent sure that this boy wouldn't have a problem with what he had to say. With that firmly in mind, he nodded his head.

Jeff looked elated in the split second it took for the two to lock lips once more. Fred's eyes closed and he held onto the other's hands tightly. Jeff didn't struggle. He just kissed his new partner as deeply as he could while still remaining chaste. Both ended up smiling and laughing through the kiss, hugging each other and squeezing.

What a perfect end to the night, Fred thought.

* * *

By the way, Toad _is_ older then Kurt. In the show, he's seventeen, whereas Kurt is fifteen. So says the bio included on my DVD.

That's all.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- Well, it took me fucking long enough but here it is. The long awaited chapter 11 to this wonderful story. Sorry about the wait. I got hooked on other things and then had massive writer's block. I'm doing my best.

But, between you and me, I plan to have this story done by next week. Don't tell the other genres tho. They might get jealous. (shifty eyes)

So enjoy what promises to be part of the climax to this installment of the Sisterhood trilogy. Oh, did I say that outloud? (slow, evil smile) Whahahaha... of course not...

Enjoy. Love, Sai-Chan

* * *

Pietro quick dried his hair, hearing banging on the bathroom door as Lance demanded to know why he was taking so long to take a shower. Pulling on a black shirt, the speedster jerked open the door. A gasp greeted him, the rock tumbler drawing back so fast he slammed into Toad, who stumbled into the wall with a squeak too feminine for him. Both stared in horror as Pietro coughed into his hand and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Lance pointed, Toad arched his eyebrow, but neither could find the words to exclaim their own shock.

" Well? Does it look okay?" Pietro asked finally, touching his formerly blond hair. They stuttered out sounds, " Wanda said black was too... uh... cliche so... I went with dark blue. My hair made it brighter though... So... it's kinda bright... the box said it'd fade in a bit... so it won't be so bad... I wanted to do silver but I didn't want you guys to tease me... and _could you say something!!!_"

" Yo, ya dyed ya hair!" Toad declared, narrowing his tired looking eyes in the direction of the blue locks. He was given two equally annoyed looks.

" Why the fuck'd you dye your hair, Quicksilver?" Lance questioned, crossing his arms under his chest and causing it to bounce, " I thought you liked being blond,"

" I did,"

" So what changed?"

" Oh, for God's sake, does it matter?! I just wanted to know if it looks okay, okay? So, does it look okay?!" he yelled, hands on his hips. Lance gave a shrug, " You're so fuckin' useless, I can't believe you have a girlfriend,"

" Leave Brit outta this. Why'd you dye your hair?"

" Maybe I felt like changin' somethin'?!

" Yeah. I believe that as much as Toad's excuse about the makeup,"

" Hey! I thought yous guys liked my makeup!" the younger one protested, tearing his eyes off the strange new hair color of the Pole. Lance smacked him in the back of the head, before repeating his initial question. Pietro appeared to be getting flustered, as his cheeks burned and his eyes got that wicked touch his family was known for.

" I'm tired of being treated like a damn dumb blond! All those assholes treat me like I'm stupid! A cheap fuck!" he spat out, moving his arms and accidently accenting his breasts. Lance stared at them, then cleared his throat.

" But aren't you a dumb blond?"

" THAT'S NOT THE POINT!! AND I'M NOT A DUMB BLOND!!"

" If you weren't, you woulda said that first, eh, Blondie?" Lance teased, making him start to shake violently, " Oh, chill out. Yes, the new do works for you. You're looking more and more like your sister every day. I'd have to say it's an improvement on your other look,"

" You can stop talking now," the speedster hissed, marching past him. Without another word, he was gone and a wind whipped out of the hallway, bolting down the stairs. The two saw the outline of the blue as the wind vanished out the front door, a slam echoing out. Once the front door had shut, Toad ducked in front of Lance and disappeared into the bathroom. The door clicked shut with a simple statement that Wally would be there any moment, much to the displeasure of the rock tumbler.

While Lance fumed, however, Pietro slipped over to where Wanda was leaning against a tree near the wire fence of the Brotherhood's backyard. She was absentmindedly rereading a note that her beloved Adam had written her about loving the present she'd gotten him for their one month. When she heard him approach, however, she looked up and grinned.

" I love it. Definitely you, Pietro," she assured him, sounding too confident for him to question her. He gave a pouty sigh, hanging on her shoulders, " Is something the matter?"

" I... I can't believe I had to dye my hair to get respect..." he whined, pushing his face against hers. Their matching eyes slide to gaze at one another and he gave a charming smile that would've melted a lesser woman. She said and did nothing in response, " Wanda? Did anyone ever respect me before? When I was a guy?"

" No."

" I thought so..." his voice trailed off as his eyes got a distant look in them. A pang of what could be called guilt went up her spine, a thought of perhaps lessening the blow making it's way into her head far too late. Yet, her face remained blank, " So... I really didn't have any friends or girlfriends or any of that, did I?"

" No."

" So... I really am a trashy dumb blond?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. Wanda was absolutely positive what the answer was, as well as what she should answer. Unfortunately, they weren't the same thing and that made her stomach turn to lead. She knew where this was coming from, why he was finally trying to find answers to all the catcalls and the stares and pet names. He'd spent his life as someone talented, gorgeous, and adored by thousands of women. Women, though, didn't try to slip their hands down his pants while he played pool as Jason had a few nights beforehand. Yes, he'd been felt up before. Yes, he'd been groped before. Yes, he'd been violated before. But to have someone blatantly grab his bare ass and justify it as him being easy, to no objection from anyone around, that had been devastating to him. He'd searched for a way to become less of a whore and ended up taking his sister's advice and dying his hair. Now, came the hard part. Admittance of the truth, present and past.

Wanda cleared her throat, knowing all this and knowing how fragile her brother's ego was, and still she answered as she did.

" Yes. You are,"

There was no outrage, no screaming, no disbelief on Pietro's face when she said it. Instead, he merely swallowed hard and nodded sternly. Silence then fell over the twins. Wanda stood near the tree, watching him to see what he was going to do. He coughed into his hand and gave her a large, fake smile as tears began to make their way down his cheeks. No one could say Wanda had expected him to start crying and thus she drew back in shock.

" At least you're honest, Wanda!" his voice was tragically cheerful. That stung at Wanda's heart and once more made her question her answer, " Um... I think I'll uh... go inside then! Uh... work on our new... uniforms... and um... see the... the... guys... later..."

Without warning, Wanda grabbed Pietro's shoulders and hugged him as tightly as she could manage. She had no idea what she was doing nor where that burst of affection had come from, but she held on as best she could as he squirmed. And then, as suddenly as she had hugged him, he squeezed her back, hot tears pouring down onto her shoulders as he broke down in choked sobs. The twins held on to one another, which neither had done with anyone in years.

Somehow, it felt right that way.

* * *

Back upstairs, Lance kicked the bathroom door, yelling for Toad to get out, that he'd been in there long enough. He heard cussing, then the door was ripped open. Toad glared at him, his eyes flashing that dangerous red color. Lance glowered down at him, before he snatched up the younger's arm, above the cuff. He ripped his arm upwards so violently, the toad shrieked as he was pulled off his feet and slammed against the wall.

" We need to talk, Tolansky," with that, Lance shoved the other back into the bathroom and snapped the door shut. Toad rubbed his arm, opening his mouth to say anything. He didn't get a chance, as the rock tumbler started in on him immediately, " I don't fucking care about your excuses. I've lived with you for nearly a year now and I ain't never seen you act so damn stupid,"

" What?"

" You heard me, you moron," Lance marched forward, looking vicious enough that Toad backed up until he was flat against the opposing wall. The older didn't stop. He moved close enough that they would be touching if either moved an inch, " I'm not stupid. Quicksilver and Fred and Wanda ain't stupid. We know what he's doing to you. We know you're hiding it. We don't know why but we don't like it. Consider this your warning, Toad,"

" Warnin'?" he whispered, shrinking down in fear. There was a flash of when Kurt had tried to reach out to him, then he was back in the bathroom as Lance grasped his upper arms.

" Get out and dump him or we'll kill him. I'm tellin' you, Toad," he leaned down and his eyes glinted with malicious intent, " I would personally like to hang him,"

" I dunno what ya talkin' 'bout, Lance," Toad's voice shook when he said it, casting a glance elsewhere. That wasn't good enough for Lance and he let out a scream of rage, raising up his fist. Automatically, the younger flinched, but didn't move to avoid what could very possibly be a blood inducing punch. That alone caused the rock tumbler to freeze in horror, his knuckles barely grazing the skin.

" You expect the punch, don't you? He's hit you so many times, you expect it... how long has this been happening?"

The question never got an answer. Toad slowly looked up at him, an appearance of shame falling over his somber gold eyes. As Lance went to hold him, though, the door was pushed open and both twisted towards it. But it wasn't one of the Brotherhood standing there with a painfully fake smile on his face. It was none other then Wally himself, gripping the door handle so tight his knuckles had turned white. Toad shook slightly, but ducked under Lance's arms to get over to his boyfriend. Wally grinned, releasing the handle reluctantly to give him a tender kiss. The other mutant didn't try to hide the disdain from his face as he turned to face off with the human. Their eyes met, but only Lance was willing to openly narrow them while still in the presence of the younger.

" Ready to go, Toad?" the redhead questioned, sliding his arm around Toad's slender waist. He bobbed his head up and down and allowed himself to be taken from the leader of his team. Although Lance didn't take his eyes off the couple and actually followed them to the door, Toad never looked back. He merely stared at the ground as he climbed into the sports car and buckled up.

The car sped off, Wally staring intently at the road. Toad swallowed dryly, desperately trying to stop shaking. Yet, red flags kept jumping up in his brain and he had the distinct impression that the last thing he should've done that day was get into that car. That feeling only increased when he saw that they weren't heading towards the movie theater. Wally turned onto a scenic part of the park, a place for a romantic drive with lots of trees. For a split second, the mutant humored the idea that this was a loving gesture. Then he saw the anger flooding his boyfriend's face as the car was roughly jerked into park. His body tensed as Wally ripped off his seatbelt and yanked the key out of the ignition. Toad shuddered and fumbled with his seatbelt, fear making him unable to correctly focus on what he had to do. All he could think was 'get away'.

Wham.

The first punch slammed into his head and he crashed into the side of the car with a shriek. His temple burst into fiery agony on both sides as he slid down onto his seat. Tears began to form in his eyes, his body instantly curling up into a ball for protection.

" SO THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN I'M NOT THERE, HUH? MAKE OUT IN THE FUCKING BATHROOM WITH THOSE BASTARDS!!! IS THAT IT?!" Wally roared, cracking Toad in the head again before punching him in the stomach. The mutant cried out that it wasn't like that, only to get smacked across the face, " I'M NOT STUPID!!! NOT LIKE YOU, YOU CHEATING WHORE!!!"

" I'm wuzzn't cheating!!! Stop it, Wally!!! Stop hitting me!!" he sobbed, covering his face as those fists collided with his hip and shoulder, " Please stop it!! I thought you loved me!!!"

" I DO LOVE YOU!!! THIS _IS_ LOVE, DAMMIT!!!" Wally twisted Toad's arm behind his back, making the toad gasp and cry harder. The redhead straddled him, leaning down and laying a small kiss on the black and blue side of his face. He got a choked sob as a response, " I don't like you living in that house, with all those people. We should get a place together, live like a real couple. I can afford it, so don't worry, Toad. Just... gimme a month or something. Then we can move out and I show you the real meaning behind _love_,"

Toad didn't answer. He just cried into his hands as Wally hugged him tightly and whispered about how they could decorate the apartment and how great it would be. Somewhere, deep inside the broken heart of the mutant, he knew he didn't want to move in with this two faced monster. However, the blood filling his mouth prevented him from saying so and he could only cry and hope to God Wally wouldn't hit him again if he just agreed to do everything he said from now on.

* * *

Just in case no one noticed, I said that Wanda was reading a note about celebrating her one month with Adam. That, in case you didn't realize it at the time, means this chapter takes place one month after the last one.

And yes, Pietro is in charge of making the uniforms. He did, after all, make his own in the actual series. And yeah, that means they need their uniforms for something. The question is, what? Hmmm...

That's all.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N- Well, this chapter's gonna go quick and probably be short. Hope you like it.

* * *

Lance twirled his car keys in one hand. His thoughts were wild and all over the place, rocking his brain not unlike his earthquakes did to the ground. But, as per usual, he couldn't help it and found himself swimming in doubt about the reason he was sitting on the steps of the Boarding House. He thought about Pietro dying his infamous locks and Wanda's new boyfriend and Toad's obsession with make up and Fred's strange eating habits. He thought about the mud stains on his new jeans and the woman he was currently 'fucking' in the back seat of his car every other night. He thought about Kitty and the past and the 'mission' the newly refounded Brotherhood would be performing in less then a week. He thought about the future and what it would hold should they never change back and what it would be like should they do. He thought about his keys and the scratches on his knuckles and how hard he'd had to work to end up in a rundown shack with a bunch of tired, deserted teenagers who'd worked just as hard as he had. He thought of his proposal to Brit and her answer and what that meant in the grand scheme of things. He thought about the kiss she'd given him and the kiss Kitty had given him when he'd saved her life that night on the hijacked X-Jet. 

Mostly, though, he thought about telling the truth.

For the past month, he'd been seeing Brit and fooling around with her all night long. Yet, he'd refrained from telling her he was actually a guy or that he was a mutant or that he'd been involved with a woman he'd intended to marry or that his first name was Lance. He'd been afraid. After all, Kitty had been a mutant herself and she'd had so many problems with his powers. His powers just weren't 'housebroken'. He was a dangerous mutant and he knew it. To reveal that to someone who might not even like mutants, well, that wasn't at all something he wanted to do. So, he'd avoided the reason he'd earned the nickname 'Avalanche'.

And the bit about his true gender, that was an even bigger problem. Brit was, without a doubt, lesbian. True, he was female now, but things could get tricky. Especially since the chance that he would eventually be changing back into a male was so high. He was almost positive she wouldn't be interested if he was a guy. That would be quite painful to deal with. He truly didn't even want to think about it.

Did that mean he wouldn't change back if given the chance? Did he love Brit that much? Did he love her at all? What were his real feelings?

In all honesty, Lance didn't know. All he knew right then and there as he tossed his keys up and down was that he'd gotten into a fight with Toad that morning in the bathroom. He'd pinned that tiny thing to the wall and demanded that he stop seeing Wally or risk being an accomplice to murder. Then he'd wanted to know how long everything had been going on and that redhead had shown up and Toad had panicked and run off with that creep like an animal on a choking leash that threatened to cut off his air supply should he not obey. Lance had been left slamming his fist into the wall until blood leaked down his arm, simply because he hadn't been man enough to punch that human. He'd stormed off to get Fred and found him talking on the phone to Jeff and the idea had struck him as a way to get out of the house. He'd told Fred they were heading over to Jeff's for a quick visit and the next thing either of them knew, they were at the house drinking root beer.

He hadn't expected Brit to be hanging around when he pulled up into the driveway. However, she'd been in the shower and she'd come out while he was in the middle of a rant about life. His jaw had dropped and everything got really hot and really wet the moment that steamy beauty walked out to ask where the hair dryer was. Without much thought, he'd thrown his soda down and rushed to embrace her.

That was that. The two had kissed and melted into one another as they stumbled past a shocked looking Janice. They collapsed in the bathroom and Lance had torn that towel off in a primal sense of lust. Her body had been a gift from God, with all those shapely curves and bouncing breasts. Like a creature from the wild, he'd attacked and pinned her to the floor. Brit offered no defense and moaned as he bit her neck and licked her chest as it heaved harder and harder. He'd rubbed his fingers up and down her naked body and relished the feel of that soft flesh as it rippled and squished under the pressure. She's quivered and he's run his tongue over her crotch. She screamed when he licked up inside her and tasted that cinnamon and vanilla entrance for the first time. It had been sweeter then candy and he'd kept going, her liquids dripping into his mouth and over his fingers as he squeezed her ass and moved them around the area he was molesting.

By the time he finished, she was laughing. Jokingly, Brit had exclaimed that now she understood the name 'Avalanche'. She informed him that he'd certainly rocked her world and then she touched down there and smiled as he panted and glanced side ways at her red face.

As calmly as humanly possible, he'd asked her to date him. Officially, exclusively. Just the two of them. She hadn't hesitated like Kitty had. She hadn't needed some time to think about it. She just nodded and gave him a tender, juicy kiss on the lips as a thank you for ravishing her gorgeous body.

To wash up, the two had taken a hot shower together. They giggled like girls and held hands as they washed the other's messy, short hair and massaged the other's busty breasts. They'd frenched and rubbed their bodies up against each other's as they let the hot water run down their curves and smiled to one another, lost in a world all their own. Neither could tear their eyes off the body in front of them and they both enjoyed that the other couldn't. Lance had never felt so desired in all his life and he shivered with pleasure as he saw her eyes dropping down to the swell of his hips once more.

Once the shower was over, they'd gotten dressed and headed out to where Fred and Jeff were engaged in a heated make out session that ended abruptly as soon as the new couple entered the room. Lance announced their union, then stated that he was going to drive Brit to her job so that the other couple could have some time to themselves. Fred had arched an eyebrow but said nothing as they left.

The drive to the mall was full of laughter and happy conversations on music and video games. Sadly, though, they'd parted after a lengthy good bye kiss and he soon found himself at the Boarding House. There, he quickly located the speedster exercising while eating candy and watching a tape in fast forward mode. He knew it was Pietro due to the fact that the person was a blur. The blue haired freak had paused long enough to inform him that Wanda had disappeared to a Gothic chic café with her boyfriend, Adam, and Toad had returned but had bolted to his room without so much as a 'yo'. Then the person he'd been speaking with became a blur and Lance had rolled his eyes as he headed up the stairs. He'd dumped his shoes and then knocked on the youngest member's door. Toad shouted he wanted to be alone, he had things to think about, and he wasn't coming down for dinner because he wasn't hungry. Tired of knocking, Lance soon left and went down to the front porch for some hard thinking of his own.

And there he sat an hour later, messing with his keys and tapping his bare feet on the steps in time to a song he wasn't sure existed outside his mind. He'd heard the TV click off and knew Pietro was either crashed on the couch or the chair, too exhausted to go upstairs. The boy had always had a nasty habit of eating himself sick while working out so that he just fell down, half way dead, on something even remotely soft and sleeping for a couple hours before either heat or hunger woke him and he went in search of a remedy for whatever it was that ailed him. He also knew the toad would be asleep upstairs too. Toad always drifted into slumber whenever he needed to think about things, if only because he had to do this on his bed. If there ever was an animal that couldn't keep it's eyes open when on a comfortable bed, it was Toad. So, with his two roommates catching a few winks in the house and the other two out in the company of good spouses, Lance was left on the porch as the sun started to set.

His mind wandered around the question he'd asked Brit. Yeah, he was confused about what was to come, but he'd never felt so wonderful then when he was with that flirty girl. She, in a corny way, completed him. And still, he held back. He couldn't tell her the truth. He didn't want her to know the real Lance Alvers. She knew him by his last name and his code name, though she didn't know it was a codename. He'd fed her a lie about why he was living with such weirdos. He'd lied about most of his past, all except him being a foster kid with a rough upbringing. If he felt so right with her, then why did he feel the need to hold back?

He knew he wasn't the only one holding it back. Fred had accepted Jeff's offer to date not too long ago and he hadn't mentioned the mutation or the male aspect. The two of them seemed to be doing well. They spent day in and day out talking about everything under the sun and then retalking about the same things. Fred had never appeared so content in his situation. The only problem seemed to be this Janice character, who was on the Brotherhood's 'To Maim' list simply because of the Blob's assertion that she was evil. Besides that twiggy girl, the couple was as happy as ever and enjoying their time together.

Wanda and Adam were doing surprisingly well too. The rock tumbler was pretty sure the Goth knew that both the Maximoff's were mutants, and had figured out that the entire Brotherhood were as well. However, he also knew that the Scarlet Witch had lied about her brother being her brother and religiously referred to him as 'Victoria' in front of her beau. Surely, she did so due to Pietro's desire to be seen as a perfect woman, but she was still hiding things from Adam. And yet, the set was so very much in love. More so then any of the others.

So, why did he feel so guilty about Brit? Couldn't he make it work, despite the lies and the side stories? The others had, except for Toad. In his heart, Lance knew the best thing would be to tell her everything and let fate sort the rest out. But fate had driven him to the edge and he was dead tired of being screwed over. He'd let fate lead him to Kitty and to the Brotherhood and down the way wrong path to teenage mutanthood with a group of misguided youths who had no hopes and no dreams. He'd allowed fate to eventually let him take the reigns as leader and thus to the lab that they'd been changed into females in. He'd let fate take it's course and he'd been beaten up, expelled, humiliated publically, and stripped of his manhood in the most literal of senses. He was tired of fate getting in the way of what he wanted. It'd destroyed his chances of getting a good job, getting Kitty, and getting out of the rut his parents had set him in. He wasn't going to let it ruin his chances with Brit. He was taking things into his own hands and running with it. He was going to keep his secrets and let them live in the bliss they'd found, at least for a little while longer.

Twirling his keys around one finger, Lance nodded to his decision even though he knew deep down it was the wrong one. Darkness was beginning the creep up the sidewalk and a light had just turned on in the living room. He could hear Pietro stumbling into the kitchen and sure enough, a light flicked on there too. He knew there was nothing to eat and there was no money to order in. So he knew the speedster would grab the only edible thing in the room, fruit bars, and march upstairs to eat the few he could stomach before curling up to go to bed with an empty stomach and a headache. Toad wouldn't wake up until sometime around midnight and he would fumble into the bathroom to splash water in his face. Then he too would go downstairs, rubbing his face and struggling to walk in the dead of darkness. He'd find nothing to eat and would go back upstairs and camp out in his room, looking for spiders. He probably wouldn't find any and would just go to bed hungry too. By morning, the two would be foaming at the mouth with hunger and would either dig through the trash for anything left or would hit the town to pick up a free meal.

Such was how the past few nights had been. Lance rubbed his forehead where an aching with crawling up. He felt terrible, but there was nothing that could be done. With all their records, they couldn't get jobs. Pietro had been arrested before under the charges of robbery, repeated theft, breaking and entering, and vandalism. They all had been charged with counts of destruction of property and all were registered mutants. Wanda was even an inmate from a mental institution. So, money had run short again. They only got one check from the government for money and it was actually the money Raven got for caring for Wanda. The checks had been transferred into Lance's name, as he was the only one over eighteen, and they cashed each check every month to pay for every expense they had. All the rest of their money came from theft, mostly by pawning whatever Toad managed to swipe on the streets. As it was nearing the end of the month again, on the other hand, money was tight and, as usual, the first thing to go was food.

So, Lance was actually happy that Fred and Wanda had found such happy relationships. At least then they could stay out and get treated to a decent meal. The other two, however, would starve in that wooden hell hole rather then go see the boys that bought them their lunches. Sure, Toad was better off, as he mostly ate bugs anyhow, but his body couldn't survive on just that. Pietro was in worse shape, due to his power, and often ate what little food they had before mooching off lovers. Lance, well, he normally sucked it up and ate nothing. Now that he was with Brit, he at least ate sometimes. That was a bonus.

Had fate, then, led them to that lab to become women because it was the path they were supposed to take to survive? At the moment, he was too exhausted and hungry and confused to give much of a damn. Night was approaching fast and he knew no one would be arriving to take him away from his prison. He'd sat out on that porch to think and in hopes Brit would be getting off work before nightfall, which had been a silly thought. Therefore, Lance caught his keys and pocketed them as he got to his feet. As he turned around, he saw Pietro's shadow in the kitchen window drifting past, probably heading up those stairs to a fitful slumber. He almost hurried inside to stop him but didn't. Instead, he took out his black cell phone and flicked it open. The tiny screen glowed in the semi darkness as he punched in a number he knew by heart.

Kitty's phone rang once, twice, three times, then cut to voice mail. On any other given moment, he would've just hung up and tried again. This time, he stood there, one hand gripping the knob leading into his suffering gender mixed up Hell and waited for her predictable message to subside to a beep. It beeped and he spoke from what he figured was the heart after such a thoughtful reflection on his feelings for Brit and the situation the X-Men had left the Brotherhood in by refusing to acknowledge the plight of the teens as this woman had ignored his plight for her affection.

" Hey, Kitty. This is Lance. I just wanted to let you know, from me, that I got a new girlfriend. Her name's Brit and she's awesome. Just thought I'd let you know you can stop calling me. See ya around then," with that, he coldly clicked the phone shut and stepped inside the mildly warm house he called home. Upstairs, two of his friends were sleeping with empty stomachs and elsewhere, the others were making up stories to stay away and get free meals. And he was leaving the door unlocked for no reason without feeling guilty.

He knew he shouldn't of called Kitty. That was something he should've told her in public. He should've been there when she either got pissed or cried or did whatever dramatic reaction she would do when she heard that message. It would've been the better thing to do. Yet, he hadn't. He'd called her up and left a message of her cell phone's answering machine and had no intention whatsoever of answering should she call back. His mind was made up. Whether it was fate or his own doing, he was going to stay in his web of lies with Brit rather then agonize over Kitty and her feelings. So, he'd decided to be cruel and leave her a voice mail instead of holding her as she broke down.

To be truthful, after all the shit she'd put him through, Lance really didn't feel she deserved any better. If he wasn't worth the effort, then neither was she. She just wasn't. And she'd just have to deal with that, like he had.

Maybe one day, she'd get over it too. That, he thought as he laughed and tossed his phone to the side, he highly doubted. She was much too big of a drama queen for it.

* * *

I lied. It was loooong. Turned out nothing like what I thought... oh well... I'm actually fond of it... one of my favorite chapters, I think... 

That's all.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Well... this is chapter 13. And in all my actual novels, something bad always happens in chapter 13. This is a chapter I've been dying to write. I hope you enjoy it after such a reflective piece by our dear Lance.

* * *

The phone was ringing again that evening as the Brotherhood suited up for the first time in over a month. No one picked up the phone nor did they listen to the message. Kitty's voice swam to the surface as Pietro double checked to make sure the new uniforms worked with the mutant's new bodies. None of them were in usual uniforms. They all were something like Wanda's. Tight fitting clothes in a color to match their personality with 'armor' at wrists or ankles or both; Lance in black, Fred in orangish, Toad in green, and Pietro in silver. As the speedster adjusted the suits, their leader surveyed his team with a small smile on his face. For once, they all looked official and comfortable, ready to reek havoc of the completely unsuspecting X-Men.

The mission that evening was highly simple. They were testing their fighting abilities now that their bodies had shifted. True, they could've just as easily asked to use the Danger Room or train with the goody-goodies. However, that was neither their style nor their personal desire. They preferred to do things the hard way and be able to annoy someone while doing it. And they all knew this would annoy the hell out of Scott when he realized the fight was a mere game and they were only trying out old moves and searching for new ones. Yet, they were going through with the plan and their personal tailor had made them 'bitching' outfits, as certain members described them. With the plan set, what little plan they'd bothered to come up with, and their outfits deemed fine, Lance broke into a wide grin and announced that it was time to set off.

" Time to kick some X-Geek ass!" he cheered, causing the others, save for Wanda, to roar with approval. Deep down, they all knew they were going to be coming home the losers, but that didn't really matter at the moment, " To the Jeep!"

" This is gonna be so much fucking fun!" Pietro exclaimed as he clapped innocently. Toad nodded, quietly tugging on the part that hugged his chest, " Aw, is the whittle baby nervous?"

" Shut the hell up! I ain't nervous an' I ain't a baby!" he snapped, punching Pietro in the arm and missing. They glared at one another before Fred shoved them into the back seat to hush the bickering they all knew would eventually spill over. The rest climbed aboard and Lance slammed on the gas as a shadow of night fall washed over the car that was now speeding towards the Institute.

In a matter of moments, they were parked outside. Although it felt a bit funny to literally pull up in front of the monitors and get out in full uniform, the Brotherhood did just that. Knowing they'd been spotted already, Toad hopped the fence and Pietro took it at full speed. As for the others, Wanda and Lance were heaved over by Fred, with the rock tumbler crashing onto the toad and Wanda stumbling forward. Lastly, the Blob pulled himself up and over as alarms began to go off and lasers pointed in their direction. The gang steadied themselves, their hearts racing for the first time in so long.

The beams fired and instinct took over.

Pietro bolted, creating a zig zagging effect almost breathtaking. Lance's eyes rolled back into his skull, an enormous amount of energy plummeting down his spine and into his feet, falling into the ground in rolls that collided with solid tree and rock. Wanda created a force field that blocked herself, her hands glowing with a warm blue fire. Fred held up his arms and the rays had no effect whatsoever as they bounced off. Toad dodged them without hesitation, his senses telling him when to go and when to stop and which way to twist.

The ground tore up and machines were crushed. Blue fire ripped through the air and broke those that remained. Those on the defensive avoided injury and moved the party forward, blocking and alerting those on the offensive to new devices about to go off. The first to reach the doors the X-Men were bursting out of was, of course, Pietro and he smugly grinned as the rest of his team soon joined him. Behind them, the grounds laid in ruins, a pile of burned and cracked nature.

" What do you think you're doing!!!" Scott bellowed, marching over to where Lance was standing. The rock tumbler slyly grinned, mocking him at every turn, " What the hell is going on, Alvers!"

" The name's Avalanche, Cyclops," he sneered, hands on his hips. The other went to snatch up the Brethren's shirt, but stopped short when he saw that curved chest, " You've got no problem fighting a bunch of chicks, do ya, huh? You'd of beat us into next week before, Summers. What's wrong?"

" This has nothing to do with you being turned into girls!" he protested, voice growing slightly uncertain.

" Maybe it does!" Pietro jumped in, casting a vicious look in Evan's direction. None failed to notice that gesture, " Maybe this is to prove we haven't changed! Maybe this is revenge for turning us into chicks! For not bothering to fix that damn machine! Maybe that's why we're here, Summers!"

" Ve're trying to fix da machine!" Kurt cut in, waving his arms angrily, " Vou're the ones vho broke it! Vou should be helping!"

" We don't have to fucking help! You did this to us and you need to fix it! I don't know _their_ damn reasons for being here, but I'm here for revenge!" Pietro shrieked, clenching his hands into fists, " I'm here to face off with you, Daniels. To prove to you I can whoop your ass, even as a girl!" he took a few steps forward before Jean held out her arms and all of them stopped.

" This is ridiculous! We shouldn't be fighting! We're supposed to be on the same team here!" she shrilly reminded them, though her words fell on deaf ears. Sparks were basically forming between the glares of Lance and Scott, so much so, they could put Storm to shame. Pietro was closing the gap between Evan and himself and Kurt had just disappeared. Before the redheaded mutant could rally for peace, the fight broke loose on both sides in screaming and punches.

Evan's head jerked to the side repeatedly as blurs of silver slammed into his cheek. Lance and Scott tackled each other to the ground, lasers shooting up to the sky and the ground cracking dangerously whenever the rock tumbler's feet touched the Earth. Toad let out a yelp as Kurt grabbed him around the shoulders and thus their infamous wrestling broke out. Kitty rushed forward in an attempt to help someone but was knocked twenty feet backwards from an unseen blow from a much faster moving Fred. Jean was then locked in a battle with Wanda, whose power was cracking down on the physic and on Rogue, who was trying to get to her to drain her of said power.

Kurt pinned Toad to the ground as a storm cloud crackled over head and spikes shot into the air. Those red eyes glowed in the darkness, but the elf held onto that body as tightly as he could. Both were breathing deeply and glaring at one another.

" Toad! Stop it! I have something I need to tell vou!" he gasped right before he was head butted and knocked to the side. Toad hopped into a predator like position, his long hair falling into his face, " I don't vant to fight vou!" he begged, rubbing dirt from his cheek.

" Funny, 'cause I do,"

Thunder boomed and rain began to pour down as Lance kneed Scott in the stomach not far in the distance. Kurt blinked as the water caused that tan hair to become slick and that outfit to reveal the line of the panties this creature in front of him was dressed in. He wasn't sure why he was noticing this, but he did, and he cleared his throat and motioned down. Toad didn't even flinch. Clearly, he'd learned not to fall for such obvious tricks. Swallowing hard, then, Kurt vanished and reappeared behind the mutant. As he was about to be punched, he leaned in close.

" I can see vour panty line," the punch halted an inch from his face and the other's eyes were suddenly gold, though the face was red, " Vou might vant to get out of the rain,"

" DAMMIT, KURT!!!! WHY'D YA HAVE TA SAY THAT!!!" Toad yelled, before he uncharacteristically smacked him across the face before hopping to his feet. Kurt sputtered right as a foot collided with his skull and his body lurched to the side. He crashed into Pietro, who slammed into the muddy ground with a loud thud. They skidded for a moment, then came to rest, both moaning and twitching where they laid in a puddle. Evan stared as Toad pulled at his uniform. Then, like the true boy he was, the X-Man jumped to his feet and shot two spikes at the mutant.

And the most horrifying thing happened as the others turned when Pietro and Kurt hit the floor. Everyone screamed in disbelief, shock rendering powers useless as hands reached forward to stop the unstoppable.

Toad stood there as the spikes sliced through his body. His watched them being fired and didn't move. One went through his right shoulder, the other cut through the left half of his stomach. Blood gushed forth from the wounds as he was jerked off his feet and plummeted backwards to the ground. He landed with a deafening thud and was motionless as the others broke free and rushed forward, radioing in for immediate medical care. The red liquid was pouring from the wide open wounds and oozing out of his mouth. His eyes fluttered in and out of focus, looking from one face to the next. Hands covered the wounds, powers lifting his shaking body off the ground and moving him inside.

Voices swam around his head as he was rushed inside the very bright Institute. Toad closed his eyes against it, confused and coughing. His body was on fire with agony, every thought in his head shrieking about why he hadn't avoided such an obvious attack. He'd stood there and let it happen. He wasn't even sure why. Was he truly that conditioned by Wally that he wouldn't even avoid death anymore? Did he want to die? His head hurt and was drowning in fog. He couldn't think. To be honest, he didn't want to. He was so tired of thinking. It was nice to be in such warm arms, being cared for instead of beaten. But he didn't really care. He didn't care. He just wanted to sleep and never wake up and never hear that voice again and never see that smile again and never think again.

Never again. Never. Never.

* * *

Everything was dark, cast in shadows upon shadows. The moon was gone, the stars as the only source of light at all. The road stretched on and on, nothingness creating the feeling of complete detachment from reality. Just the sky and it's wicked faces in stars and a sidewalk that couldn't be seen and a road untraveled. No lamp lights appeared to be working, but then this was the neglected part of Bayville. If they'd ever worked, he didn't know. All that mattered then was that the house behind him had a phone that kept ringing and the darkness did not. That was enough comfort to brave the void before him.

A ringing echoed in the distance. Once, twice, a shudder went down his spine. Three, four, five times, he clenched his hands at his chest. Six, click, voices swam to the surface, he turned away from the home. As a voice boomed out, it's words drowned out by distance alone, he tore away from the dirt road and pounded down the sidewalk, forgetting his mutation entirely. At that moment, he was just human.

The air had turned to ice. When had it gotten so cold? He wasn't wearing his jacket. He was just in his pajamas, which consisted of a T-shirt and loose knee length pants. His feet were freezing. Where had he put his shoes? Had he left them there? He couldn't remember. But his feet were cold and starting to hurt from how hard he was running. He didn't stop, though. He didn't even slow down. If anything, he sped up, turning the corner at the end of the block.

Light nearly blinded him, a car tearing by. He bolted behind it, running across the street, to the other side, just in case that ringing followed him and figured out where he was going. He had to get away, he had to lose it. If he didn't lose his mind first. Why hadn't he unplugged the phone? Would he have noticed it wasn't plugged in? What would he say? He didn't want to know, didn't want to know what that man on the other end of the phone would say when he pulled up in front of the home and found it deserted. Would he buy the excuse that he'd gotten afraid of the dark and left before he got there?

The road veered to the right, suddenly well lit and painful that way. He shielded his eyes, cutting across a street he hadn't noticed was full of cars until he was running through it. Horns blared, people slammed on the breaks, but he just kept going. He could see the perfectly white lights of the haven up ahead. Just a little more, a little more and he'd be away from the ringing and the phone and the screaming of his name and the agony of knowing that man was on his way.

Gates rose up out of nowhere and Toad Tolansky slammed into them.

Letting out a scream, Toad banged and clawed at the gates. Then desperation and mutation came over him and he climbed up them. In a second, his feet touched the wet grass behind the bars. The second they did, he ran towards the huge building towering over the grounds. He felt danger, knew he was going to be shot at, and kept going. The biggest danger lurked back where he'd come from, he knew. So he hid behind the fountain instead, crouching down and shaking violently.

Red lasers slammed into the ground near him and he bolted. The lasers followed, hitting the stairs as he ran up them. The doors would be locked. They would be locked, but he knew the X-Men would come for him. He could already see Jean's hair coming around the upstairs corner. But they weren't Quicksilver and they couldn't get there in time. In a moment, a second even, that man was going to get there and take him away from everything and kill him. Slit his throat, beat him. It didn't matter. It was going to happen before those mutants got down the stairs and that wasn't good enough. That wasn't enough. The darkness had been, but now, against the cold glass of the Institute, it wasn't enough.

He could hear the car door slamming shut in the echos of his mind, over the sobbing cries pouring out of his mouth. Wally was behind him and they weren't there and they couldn't save him now. He saw them coming, but it wasn't enough. They weren't enough. He was already done for.

* * *

Toad sat up screaming in the middle of the hospital wing of the downstairs section of the Institute, causing Storm and Hank to jump from where they were reviewing medical records. The heart monitor was soaring, everything racing in a panic as the mutant thrashed and began to rip wires out of his body. Before he could, however, Hank grabbed his forearms and held him at bay. After a couple of seconds, it dawned on the toad that he wasn't in front of the Institute and he was in some serious pain. A moan escaped his mouth as he collapsed backwards against the pillows and glanced around the room he was currently being kept in as the blue man in front of him reinserted the needles.

The room was decorated with gifts from the Brotherhood and X-Men. Mostly stuffed animals as he couldn't eat candy and he didn't like collecting cheesy cards. Thus, a variety of multicolored frogs lined his bed, some with hearts that said 'I Wuv You' or 'Get Well Soon'. One, the biggest of the set, had a heart that read 'I'm Sorry'. Along with the frogs, there were flowers from nature, wild flowers that he preferred to store bought kinds.

Although it was nice to see such mementoes of affection for a change, Toad couldn't help but feel confused as to why they were there. Actually, he wasn't even sure why he was there. Slowly, he sat up and looked over at his old science teacher, who gave him a heart warming smile.

" Yo, Mr. MaCoy," he greeted him, waving a tiny bit.

" You're looking a lot better, Tolansky. Took a nasty hit, did you? Always were a careless fighter," he answered, patting him on the head and laughing at some private joke. Those gold eyes blinked a couple of times. As he'd been his teacher, Hank didn't need to be told that those eyes were confused and nothing he'd just said was registering. It was the same look he'd gotten for several months whenever he attempted to teach him about chemistry, " Perhaps the shock made you forget. You took two of Evan's spikes pretty bad when you attacked the Institute the other night. You've had a fever for the last few days,"

" Few days?"

" Is that a problem? You missing work, huh?" he joked, nudging the boy. He got a smile, finally. Hank let out a sigh of relief, " For a second there, I thought you'd lost your sense of humor,"

" Huh? No, not me,"

" Your friends have been in and out, as you can tell. I was quite surprised... I never knew Pietro would dye his hair... I guess a lot of things have changed since you lot turned into females..." as soon as he said it, a red flag jumped up in Toad's head. That tone, he knew it from somewhere. Before he could figure out where, though, his teacher continued, " You've lost weight, Tolansky. And you had bruises all over your body. And I don't think you've ever been injured in a battle before. Something you'd like to tell me?"

" No,"

" Todd, I may be old, but I'm not completely out of touch," he got a set stern look on his werewolf's face. Toad swallowed hard, the heart monitor showing that he was beginning to panic, " I'm gonna be straight with you: are you in an abusive relationship with you're new boyfriend?"

" N-no..." his voice shook as he said it and he hurried to cover his mouth.

Then his dream that had been spawned by the fever leapt to mind. He could see the street as he ran, desperate, for safety. It had seemed so real, so completely real, that he couldn't deny his feelings anymore. He couldn't deny the truth anymore. He was in need of some serious assistance. This man in front of him wasn't Xavier, he wasn't someone the toad would usually seek out for help. However, he was a doctor and he was a teacher and he was someone who cared. Yes, Lance and Kurt had both demanded to know the same thing. Both times he'd run away and found himself crying as Wally struck him over and over. Was it worth it for that kiss and to be held at night when everything was so dark and lonely? Was it worth it to lose himself on a battlefield and be seriously damaged? Was love worth that? He didn't know and he didn't know what would happen when he saw Wally again. All he knew really was that someone who had seen the stitches and the blackened eyes and bumps and greenish bruises was standing right there, giving him a look he hadn't seen since he was a child.

The look of a parent who cared. Who gave a damn.

" Yes..." Toad choked out, covering his face as he began to cry and shake. Two long, furry arms hugged him close to a chest with a kind heartbeat and he broke down in terrible sobs, " But he says it's l-love... h-he l-l-loves m-me... he's th-the only person wh-who eva lo-loved me..."

" That's not true, Todd," Hank whispered, feeling two webbed hands gripping at his shirt, " That's not true. So many people love you, you just don't know it,"

" N-not like W-W-Wa... him,"

" You're worth more then that, Todd. Trust me. You deserve so much better," he assured him, closing his eyes as he wondered how this could've happened to someone who'd once laughed and casually informed him he never did homework. He couldn't believe that he was witnessing Todd Tolansky, the unhurtable Toad of the Brotherhood, break down in sobs. In that sense, nothing seemed real. The world of all things sane had vanished and he was left standing on the edge of the surreal world the Brotherhood had constructed for itself, questioning what was behind the others' smiles and hardened eyes.

As Toad shook his head and cried, Hank could never have known that the worse was yet to come. This was just the tip of the iceberg that would mark the downward spiraling end to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- It has been over a year since I updated this story. I've stopped making excuses. Time gets away from me but stories remain in my brain, so I never really notice how long it has been since I really updated. That's all I can say in my defense. I'm sorry. If you continue reading my work, I am grateful. If you don't... well.... really, I probably wouldn't notice, I'm so busy lately.

That said, I have reviewed my notes for the upcoming chapters and even the promised two sequels. I... I like what was planned... truly, I do. But... I've decided to put the old plans away and start anew. I started this story just after my eighteenth birthday and I last updated it just before my nineteenth. It is now about a month after my twentieth. I had planned to wait, to try to lengthen this to include... well... funnier bits and whatnot. I'm not going to. I'm diving head on into the belly of the beast and I hope you'll enjoy the ride.

Now it's time to meet the end of the Brotherhood I promised. These last few chapters, I hope, are up to my usual standards and you appreciate the emotions that go into this once purely humorous story.

Enjoy. Love, Sai-Chan.

* * *

Two months. That's how long it took for the phone calls to finally come to a stop. Every day, the phone rang and rang, baring the same frightening seven digits. No one in the Boarding House would answer. Then the answering machine would whiz to life and the screaming would start. At first, there were soft words and cooing, but it always ending in that loud, booming shouting and swearing to pick up. The phone would click off then. A minute later, that ringing would start up again. Every call, the threats got worse, more violent. Sometimes, there would come a banging on the front door, where Lance or Freddy would expel the unwanted visitor by flexing their muscles or rocking the ground. The calls would start up again when that sports car tore off the property. They wouldn't stop, no matter the hour. A few times, Pietro would get fed up and would answer to cuss and shriek at the caller before hanging up. It was a vain attempt. Nothing helped.

Eventually, though, the calls stopped. There would be a few hours in between them, then a day, then a couple days, and finally, none at all. That day was the fourth day in a row no screaming had traveled up the stairs to the corner bedroom where he sat. He was huddled against the wall, his legs pulled up to his chest, his gold eyes staring out through a curtain of tan hair. Toad listened to everything going on outside his private Hell, but never ventured out to see what was truly happening. To be honest, he rarely moved from that position. Every red flag his instincts gave him was constantly waving, leaving him in a perpetual state of flight. As an animal mutant, Toad had always been plagued with a heightened fight or flight sense of reality. After leaving the hospital, he'd been stuck in flight mode. There was no shaking that haunting fear that lingered from that all too real nightmare that had left him admitting the truth to Mr. McCoy.

Of course, with the phone ringing like in his dream, that was to be expected. Toad couldn't get rid of that desire to run and hide. Every time that phone rang his heart would jump to his throat and he could see that redheaded monster rising up from the darkness in his bedroom. He could see those blue eyes glowering down at him and that hand pulled back to lay another smack to his body. The threats morphed into his delusions. Wally wasn't just going to hit him the next time he saw him. Wally was going to kill him.

Toad had told someone. He had told McCoy about the abuse. Wally was going to kill him for it. He would know. He would _know_ he told. That was the ultimate offense. Toad wasn't supposed to tell anyone what happened behind closed doors. As far as he was supposed to be concerned, nothing ever happened, Wally never hit him. Everyone else was crazy and the only sane person was Wally. But that wasn't true. Toad had never fully believed that lie. Somehow, he'd just gotten lost in the whispered sweet nothings and the undying fear of pain. Now he'd gone and told someone and he couldn't hide anymore. He had exposed the ugly truth and Wally knew about it and he was going to kill him.

That was all Toad could get out of his confession. He didn't care if everyone told him things were going to get better now. He didn't care if Kurt had looked so furious when it finally got out that, yes, Toad had been caught up in an abusive relationship. He didn't care that the elf has promised to get even with Wally for him. He didn't care if Lance swore he'd never see Wally again. He didn't care if he was safe and warm and cared for deep within the Boarding House where only mutants could get to him. He just didn't care. They were all _wrong_. Wally was going to kill him and there was nothing he could do about it.

Shivering, Toad closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his knees. His thoughts were interrupted then by the sound of footsteps heading over to his door. A wave of panic froze his stomach, despite the fact that he knew those thumping thuds of heavy boots on wood. There was a fleeting moment where he wanted to hide somewhere he wouldn't be seen, but he didn't. He just raised up his heavy stare when the door opened without a knock. Leaning in the doorway was Lance. For a moment, he looked just like his old male form. He was dressed in semi baggy jeans, a loose black shirt, a vest, and his hair was pinned back like it was when he worked on his car. Gloves were on his hands and he had that half smile on. Yet, he was a lot thinner, delicately built, with a swell of hips and the outline of a bosom. No, Lance was still the female Avalanche deeply involved with some girl named Brit that Toad had never met.

" Hey, Toady," he said in that drawling voice he could get when he was really tired, but trying not to show it, " I... I'm... going to pick up Brit. She's coming to dinner tonight. Uh... Fred's thinkin' of goin' over to Jeff's an' the twins are going out with... people, I guess. You okay with that?"

There was no answer. Toad just stared out through his hair, his eyes shining in the darkness of his world. Lance shifted his weight, tapping one of his boots. Those brown eyes blinked, but there was no expression on his face. They stared at one another, time passed, and then the older mumbled something as he ran a hand over his semi tan face.

" Look, I know... you're not feelin' like yerself... but... Kurt's downstairs. He says... he wants to see you. He sounded pretty desperate," that was where Lance left the conversation. The rock tumbler just turned and left the door wide open as he walked away to go get his girlfriend.

The toad was left looking out at the hallway. There, the light was flickering, about to die. Yet, a pool of a warm glow flooded into his room. Something about it was comforting, even though he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps it was a sense of hope. He didn't know. He just swallowed drily and slipped off his creaking mattress. His feet were cold on the ground, but he ignored it. Toad just stepped quietly out of his dingy bedroom and shut the door. Silently, he slipped down the stairs as the front door shut and he saw Lance heading over to the Jeep where the others were waiting to be chauffeured around. Then he just turned his attention to the bright light of the kitchen. He headed that way. Inside, he saw Kurt sitting at the table, his mouth set in a frown that distorted his usually perky features. He was wearing the inducer, but he wasn't in his standard clothes. Instead, he was in a baggy green shirt and khaki pants. Toad figured those were his recreational clothing.

When Kurt didn't notice him standing there, he cleared his throat. The elf jumped and jerked his head towards the doorway Toad lingered in. The look was unreadable, there were so many emotions running over his face. The next thing Toad knew, however, Kurt had teleported in front of him and was holding him tight. The hug was unexpected. There was no warning. Kurt's arms were just suddenly around his shoulders and he was being smothered in that soft shirt as a flood of whispered German echoed in the quiet of the wooden place. Toad's eyes flickered wildly as he attempted to figure out what was going on before he just struggled to get away. This time, though, he was released. He wasn't restrained and fought with as he was used to. Kurt merely let go and weakly smiled down at him.

" I missed vou, Toad. I vas vorried you vere never gonna come down from your room," he teased as he gave a slight laugh that sounded almost forced. The tone to his dark eyes was anything but playful. Toad nodded solemnly in response, " Vhat? You look... like you have something to say? Am I... Am I... vhat's vrong?"

" Why you here, E-Elf Boi?"

" Vhat are you talkin' about, Toad?! Vhy am I here? Isn't that obvious?!" he exclaimed, his hands jumping up in his shock. There was a shake of the toad's head, " I'm here because you vere nearly killed and vhen you got out of the hospital, all you did vas lock yourself in your bedroom for nearly two months! I vanted to make sure you vere okay! Is that a crime? I vas worried!"

" I'm fine...." he lied without any conviction to his voice. There really was no denying the truth, he knew, because Kurt was one of those people that didn't take bull when they were fed up. He was definitely fed up.

Kurt had been the first person to confront him about Wally. He had been trying to catch him as he fell from grace for so much longer then anyone else. It was understandable that he was standing there now, at the bottom of that black hole, with his arms held up. This elf, this X-Man, had already shown that he wasn't just mildly concerned. He wasn't even furiously concerned like the others were. He was down right delirious with it. Every motion he made right then as Toad lied showed that loud and clear. His eyes narrowed and he began to struggle to breathe around his own fury. His hands tightened and there was a distinctive look of rage pouring into his face. Kurt was fighting not to explode, but Toad could even smell it on him. Somehow, though, he found himself not afraid of this fury. He knew that Kurt would never hurt him. He didn't know how he knew that, since he had previously been so afraid of any form of anger. Now he just swallowed and shook his head as Kurt opened his mouth to spew his disbelief.

" Can we go somewhere an' talk, Kurt? I need... ta talk ta someone... not here, though... W-W-W- _he_ might come by... an'... Lance has a date anyways... an'... can we just go somewhere we can be alone?" he asked, almost begged, as he raised his fearful eyes up to that face. Kurt stopped short.

" If that's vhat you vant.... sure..."

With that, Kurt took Toad's hand in his and they vanished in a puff of smoke. Just as they did, the red sports car that had been circling the block came to a stop. He lowered his shades and cussed, glaring up at the vacant Boarding House. Mumbling then, Wally put the car back in drive and sped off.

" I'll find you, Tolanksy... I'll find you, don't you worry your pretty head over that...."

* * *

The place was a small poetry reading type coffee shop. It was like every other one in town, expect for one difference. This shop was owned by Adam's older sister, so his guests and him got to sit at a private booth away from everyone else sipping their steaming cups. That was where Pietro was swirling his coffee with mild interest to the fact that the poem being read was about an abusive father. He didn't really hear the words, though. He just saw brief flashes of his childhood, mostly of the night he was torn from his twin in the pouring rain. The memory would haunt him forever, he knew. Looking up and across the table, he was slightly saddened that he was the only Maximoff to be able to say that. Wanda didn't have any of those memories anymore. However, he had to admit, it was a true joy to see his sister smiling that reserved smile as Adam attempted to find some reason to drape his arm around her shoulders.

Sighing then, Pietro tried to block out the past as he drank some of his lukewarm drink. His sister looked at him with consideration, so he flashed her a smile. Her red lips parted to do the same when Adam finally got his arm around her. He proudly pulled his girlfriend close. Pietro couldn't help but snicker as a sinking feeling poured into his stomach. Seeing the two of them so happy together, although Wanda never truly expressed it, made him more then just slightly jealous. He had always wondered what a real relationship was like. He'd never known. As he'd discovered, he had always been a cheap trick, a piece of arm candy, even when he hadn't been trying to be. Now, he was just alone, drowning in his bitter coffee and reflecting on the past that had made him unable to connect on more then a superficial level. Before him was his sister, who was so like him in personality and yet she had managed to drop her walls to let in a little love.

So, why couldn't Pietro do the same?

There wasn't an answer he could find right then. How sorely hurt he had been to realize that he had to change his appearance to shake a terrible image. Now, with semi long blue hair and an outfit that consisted of black pants, a long sleeved blue shirt under a black T-shirt and leather boots, he looked like a completely different person. He looked like a blue verison of Wanda. Yet, he wasn't snuggling up to some poet like she was. He was just watching, alone, and cold. That was what got him. He had changed and still, he was alone. It was a chilling thought. Perhaps that was why he was cold. He knew it wasn't a perhaps.

Slowly, Pietro got to his feet and placed some money on the table to pay for his drinks. He muttered something about not feeling well and told Wanda he was going home. Her eyes probed his every motion and he felt as though she was reading his mind. Then her blue eyes narrowed in understanding and she allowed him to leave, knowing he wanted to be left alone. Pietro thus slipped out of the booth and ducked his way around people until he got to the exit. There, he left and stood in the alley that the shop was located in. Kicking a stone, the speedster began a long and thoughtful walk home. The air was beginning to get colder, but it fit his mood, so he didn't mind. The sky was gray and the world was empty to him. He just walked on as he turned his thoughts inside.

He didn't know who he was anymore. Before this transformation, he had just been Quicksilver, the deviant playboy blond bunny with a killer smile and a gorgeous figure. He had been a member of the Brotherhood, had a deep seeded rivalry with Evan, and loved to piss people off. Now, he was some Gothic girl swimming in a sea of depression he vaguely realized was probably clinical. He had slashes all over his arms, his hair was dyed a slight neon blue, and he couldn't work up a real laugh for anything. He didn't want to fight anymore, after having witnessed Toad be run through. The fighting had seemed so harmless until he realized just how fragile life had been. Of course, he knew that day had been the start of his utter downward spiral. He had never seen a friend fight for their lives before. Pietro had come face to face with reality in the harshest ways. As Wanda had always told him, that was the only way he ever learned.

The only thing he had learned, though, was that he hated what he had become. He had taken a deeper look at himself in those hours when they waited for news on Toad's condition. He knew Toad wasn't going to die, but he couldn't chase away a subtle fear deep within. For some time after that, the fear had built up until he could finally recognize it. It wasn't even fear, to be honest. It was something worse. Something far worse. It was a realization.

Pietro was just like his father. He had become his father.

When he wanted something, he just took it, no matter what. Then, when he was tired of something, he discarded it without a second thought. It didn't matter if that something was a video game or a human being. They were just toys to amuse himself with. Just like his father. Wasn't that why Magneto had shipped Wanda off to the mental institution? He had grown weary of dealing with her powers and had just decided to get rid of her. He kept Pietro, though, because that toy had yet to prove useful. Then, when Pietro was through being of service, he'd just tossed his away like a bad cold. He'd abandoned his children and everyone who ever got close to him. He turned on his comrades and turned people against each other just to prove a point. Pietro did all those things too. He'd turned on the Brotherhood before and had abandoned those he truly loved. He'd gotten in that car as Wanda had been dragged away. He'd never tried to free her. He even agreed to let her live in her delusional world of peace then deal with her anger. Yes, he was the spitting image of Magneto, in appearance and more.

The thought was sickening even then as he turned a corner and entered a lonely strip of the park to take a short cut home. Pietro shook his head. He didn't want to be like that anymore. He was tired of going home alone, while everyone else put their hearts on the line for someone. He was sick of himself. He wasn't like that deep down, he knew. Just who was he, though? That was where the problem was. In all his life, Pietro had never really looked below the surface, on anything, really. Now he was lost in his own sea of guilt over everything he'd done. He didn't know who he was and that alone was frightening. Having to face it by himself, however, was worse. There was no one to turn to. No one knew who he was behind the jaded laughter and two-faced personality but him. He'd never let anyone in. It wasn't their fault he couldn't turn to them. That was his own. He'd always been trying to be so perfect that, somewhere along the line, he'd forgotten to let people see who he was behind closed doors. Now, he wasn't even sure there _was_ a real Pietro. He was just a sham, a lie, and he didn't know how to fix it.

" I just.... wish there was a way... to wake up..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair as he stopped next to a twisting oak tree. His blue eyes followed it up and down, taking in it's outspread branches and knotted roots, " Who the hell _was_ I? Where did I go... behind all the smiles and tricks?"

Only a few fragmented pieces could be dug up from his past that Pietro could truly say was who he had been outside the doll he acted like around his father. There was Evan. The feelings of contempt were real. Did that mean he was petty and jealous in actuality? No, that wasn't it, he thought. The contempt had to come from somewhere. Why did he hate Evan so much? He turned his mind back to the past, back when he was a child and throwing paint on the boy's painting to make him cry. There had been no 'rules' to follow back then. He was just Pietro, not Quicksilver, and he was too young to act inhuman. How sad, he vaguely thought, that the last time he was himself was when he was still finger painting. Still, he could wrap his mind around one fleeting thought that had fueled those childish acts of sabotage.

Evan didn't like him. Or rather, Evan hadn't liked him. Pietro didn't like many people, not even back then, when they were in grade school together. Yet, he had wanted to play with Evan. He had wanted to do _something_ with him. Evan hadn't liked him, though, and had turned him away. Had that been it? Rejection? No, he told himself, there was something else there. Even to date, when Evan turned him away or shunned him or anything of the sort, there was a deep pit of unresolved hatred. Every time he triumphed, there was fury, but not in the way when anyone else beat him. Every time someone liked Evan more, there was jealousy that couldn't be normal. He saw the rivalries of the others. Lance and Scott fought and shoved and bit and snarled like dogs fighting for territory. Toad and Kurt kidded and snickered and wrestled and laughed like brothers annoying each other. Pietro, he didn't fight like that with Evan. Their fighting was always too personal, too deep, and taken too far every single time. Pietro was the one who went to extremes like that, though, not Evan. Pietro had set up him for jail time because he scored a shot he hadn't. That was not normal. That was much deeper then some silly childish grudge because they didn't swing together on the swing set at recess.

There was something, some strange feeling, he could feel building up in him. There was a hatred there, that linked directly to Evan, that had dominated Pietro's personality. When his father had torn his world apart, nothing had seemed real. He had latched onto that one emotion and used it as a wall to fight reality. Now he had to bring that wall down. He had to locate the source of that hatred. What was it? It felt strange, light, bubbling in his core like an illness. He didn't think he would understand it, but the clarity of that moment nearly knocked him unconscious.

Pietro literally felt his eyes growing wider as he grabbed hold of the oak to steady himself. That hatred was linked to a rumor that had dogged him all his life. That lingering thought in the back of his mind was true. Everything about him _had_ been a lie, right down to that key. His gender swap had finally broken the lock on that big reveal. The basketball game. The breakdown. The depression. The hatred. The rivalry. It all seemed so clear now. That hatred, that need to prove himself as better, wasn't based on some childish need to be perfect when he got down to it. It was based around the need to impress Evan. Just like when they were in grade school and Pietro had asked Evan if he like-liked him and Evan had said no, he liked Ashley. This was rejection all right, but not of friendship. It was rejection of a relationship.

He didn't hate Evan because he was better then him. He hated him because he was straight. And he wasn't. Pietro wasn't straight. That was why those flirty relationships were so empty. That was why it hurt more when the guys had treated him like a cheap ride. That was even why he had been so comfortable in a girl's body, messing with boys and dressing up. That was why he'd become like his father. His undiscovered self hatred at being gay because of some long sought after crush that continually rejected him and his attempts to woo him. It seemed so foreign, but everything made sense now. His father thought homosexuals were less then humans so when Evan had rejected him, he had gained the warped idea that if he proved he was the best, he wouldn't be less then human and Evan would like him. Along the way, he had just suppressed his sexuality until he was blindly destroying his chances at a normal social and emotional connection with anyone.

Just like that, there was a weight lifted from Pietro's shoulders. He stared out at that oak as if he was seeing it for the first time. His hands fell to his sides as he started to laugh. There wasn't anything funny about this realization, but he couldn't stop laughing anyways. Yes, he had figured out he was truly messed up in the head. Yes, he had just come to terms with his misguided sexuality. However, he had also found the answers he had been searching for. He knew who he was behind that mask he had constructed and worn for so long.

Pietro was lonely. He was lonely and wanting of acceptance. He wanted someone, anyone, to accept him for who he was behind that mask. He wasn't a cheerful air head. There was so much more to him, if he could ever be allowed to express it. He was hurting, bleeding inside, from neglect, and he couldn't even imagine what he would look like in the light of day. He knew he was a moody drama queen with a taste for adventure, but he was also sensitive and afraid of people. There was more, of course, but he would need help finding it. He needed someone. No, he knew who he needed. He needed Evan. He had something he really ought to tell him, regardless of the outcome. He stopped laughing as he turned in the direction of the Institute.

That's when two hands encircled his mouth and he was suddenly aware of the person snickering behind him. He was jerked clear off his feet and thrown to the ground as a heavy weight pressed down upon him. He let out a scream before his mouth was covered and he finally got a look at the face of the predator on top of him.

Glaring down at him was Jason. And he was flicking out a pocket knife.

* * *

Next chapters will be following shortly.

Also, I'm doing a special smexi oneshot for a couple for V-Day. Go take my new poll to vote for your favorite pairings.

That's all.


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